“We are all still encouraged and ready to go,” senior forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen said. “We played a great game both Friday and Sunday, so we have nothing to be ashamed about that loss on Sunday. Moving forward we just keep it positive and keep it moving.”
IU will go up against University of Alabama-Birmingham on Friday for its first game of the tournament.
Redshirt junior midfielder Phil Fives said he felt the Blazers’ defense may not be as regimented as Notre Dame’s.
IU created plenty of opportunities against Notre Dame on Sunday. The Hoosiers managed 14 attempts on goal and had 10 corners.
“I loved our ability to get into dangerous positions, whether it was crosses or penetration into the box,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “We haven’t had that much success against them in years, and they are a really good team.”
The only thing lacking was the finish, as the Hoosiers failed to capitalize on any corners, and only two of the 14 attempts were on target.
If the Hoosiers could create that many shooting opportunities against such a regimented defense, then a defense that is not as compact should allow opportunities for IU, something of which Fives took note.
“I think their backline is maybe supposed to be a little shaky and not as compact as Notre Dame’s was, and we are looking to get through them,” Fives said.
IU’s defense has been sound, keeping three clean sheets in five games.
“I love the way we defended all weekend. We gave so little away on defense, and that is a great building block going forward,” Yeagley said. “I think it’s easier to tweak the attacking part as long as the core of the defending is stable.”
The defense will have to be at its usual peak level to nullify any threats the Blazers might pose.
A win would give IU something to build on as it faces USF on Sunday.
The Bulls are on a high after they battered then-No. 3 Georgetown in a 2-0 victory Monday at Corbett Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
It would be an error to dismiss the Blazers, Yeagley said, but the Hoosiers feel suitably prepared for the challenge that awaits them.
“We know what we have to do, and we are good at it,” Fives said. “We know what we are capable of, and we feel confident.”
The Mike Berticelli Tournament will be the Hoosiers; final tournament of the regular season, before they travel to State College, Pa. to begin their Big Ten season versus Penn State.
They will return home Sept. 20 to play Rutgers in their second Big Ten matchup and will continue at home versus Evansville.
