As IU senior goalkeeper Sean Caulfield said, there are no trophies won in the spring season.
And because there aren’t, it gives IU coach Todd Yeagley and the Hoosiers a great opportunity for the young guys to get a look. That is the case because Indiana lost nearly an entire starting lineup from last year’s roster. But, coming off its trip to Mexico over spring break, Indiana has a bit of a better idea of who those new faces will be.
The Hoosiers will have their one and only chance to play in front of their fans during this spring season come Sunday when they welcome in the Lipscomb Bisons to Bloomington. It not only will be a chance to play a quality opponent, but another chance to experiment with the lineup this spring.
"Learning tendencies of the guys around you is really important."@IndianaMSOC is back in action this Sunday for its lone home match of the spring season against Lipscomb. #iums pic.twitter.com/l2CD5Nviw0
— The Hoosier Network (@TheHoosierNet) April 5, 2019
“Those two games in Mexico were the first time we saw the new 11 guys on the field playing together,” Caulfield said. “Learning tendencies of the guys around you is really important. That’s something we’ll work on again in this game Sunday and going forward in the next two as well.”
The trip to Mexico saw plenty of experimentation in the lineup. Nearly every player got to play, including freshman Andrew Goldsworthy who recently joined the team along with Simon Waever, a transfer from Evansville. Waever figures to be a key contributor right off the bat.
But the two who impressed the most may have been midfielder Joe Schmidt and forward Ian Black. Both are attacking minded players who will be tasked with leading an inexperienced front line for the Hoosiers. The duo also impressed during the Mexico trip. And for any forward like Black, seeing the ball hit the back of the net is a big confidence boost.
#IUinMEX has come and gone. If you missed any part of @IndianaMSOC's trip to Mexico City over Spring Break, make sure to relive it right here. #iums https://t.co/nGqsN8WWXd
— The Hoosier Network (@TheHoosierNet) March 18, 2019
“It’s everything,” Black said. “Even just in training everyday, if you’re not feeling yourself confident even with a little bit of swagger, it’s tough to score those goals. It’s really big when you’re confident and you’re feeling yourself. It helps you just perform that much better.”
As the team has reacquainted itself back in Bloomington following the trip to Mexico City, it has been an opportunity to gain health and fitness again. A few players did fall ill while on the trip, but many made it back to play. The biggest difference following the trip is not having to play at over 7,000 feet.
Nonetheless, as the team looks back on the experience, there is nothing but positive things to say. They played and won two hard-fought matches and many got to experience a location they have never been to before. But in terms of on the field, there was plenty to learn.
"It was a great learning experience."
After reflecting on the trip to Mexico City over spring break, the Hoosiers are back in Bloomington with three more spring season games. #iums pic.twitter.com/AYtduyWV6d
— The Hoosier Network (@TheHoosierNet) April 5, 2019
“A lot of guys finally got to get on the field in an IU uniform,” Schmidt said. “It was a confidence boost for us as a team. We grinded out two pretty difficult wins, didn’t play great both games, but we were able to show to ourselves and to everyone else that we can be a force to be reckoned with when we’re organized and discipline.”
Counting the Lipscomb match Sunday, the Hoosiers have just three more matches this spring season before the fall season gets underway in August. There is still plenty more learning situating to be done, however. But if there has been one consistent from the team this spring, it is one phrase.
“We don’t rebuild, we reload.”
