After starting off the season with two wins for the first time since 2012, IU moved up in the rankings while senior midfielder Tanner Thompson was recognized nationally for his play.
Record-wise, the first weekend of the regular season couldn’t have gotten much better as IU Coach Todd Yeagley and the Hoosiers started out 2-0-0. Because of that, IU has vaulted to No. 5 in both the Top Drawer Soccer poll along with the NSCAA poll. They also jumped to No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in the College Soccer News and Soccer America rankings.
Yeagley said the team doesn’t read into the rankings all that much, however.
“You can’t put much stock into it,” Yeagley said. “We just want to take care of the results and if you get caught up in where you are in rankings, you’re in a place that is somewhat out of your control.”
Thompson had quite a banner weekend as well for IU tallying a game winning penalty kick Friday against New Mexico with 30 seconds left, along with providing an assist and a go-ahead goal against UC Irvine on Sunday.
The senior not only garnered attention within the Big Ten but also nationally as he was named Top Drawer Soccer’s Player of the Week, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and was named to College Soccer News’s Team of the Week.
“It’s nice, and it’s an honor, but I focus on what I can do between the touchlines,” Thompson said. “It’s a nice thing, but I don’t want to focus on it too much.”
The Hoosiers now will get set for the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic this weekend at home where IU will matchup against No. 22 Cal and No. 15 Stanford.
Josh Eastern
