BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — As winners of seven national championships, the Indiana men’s soccer team is held by many as the most storied program in college soccer history. Saint Louis is the lone other school with a claim.
The rivalry continued on the field Thursday as the No. 2 Hoosiers opened the Saint Louis/Nike Classic against the No. 24 Billikens. IU will play 16th-ranked Creighton on Saturday.
Indiana’s battle with the Billikens started in 1976, four years after the Hoosiers established soccer as a varsity sport. IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag, a St. Louis native, played as a freshman for IU during the schools’ first meeting. Freitag said that the 1976 contest was the one that put IU on the radar.
“They came to IU and we won 5-1, and my teammate Angelo Dibernardo scored five goals,” Freitag said.
The teams have faced each other 28 times, with IU amassing a record of 18-7-3. The Hoosiers have also been successful historically against Saint Louis in the postseason, winning matchups in 1983, 1984 and 1990.
Despite the lopsided head-to-head record, Saint Louis has 10 national championships, though its most recent came 34 years ago. The Hoosiers still own the edge in College Cup appearances and NCAA victories.
Another chapter will be added to the rivalry this week, but the Hoosiers are approaching this weekend’s tournament as a chance to validate their No. 2 ranking.
Junior midfielder Brian Ackley said this week’s competition will help the Hoosiers assess themselves as a team.
“It’ll be a good test for us,” Ackley said. “As long as we prepare well and don’t think we’re as good as our ranking, this weekend will show us where we really are as a team.”
When the Hoosiers competed against Creighton last year, Ackley scored the winning goal in overtime and IU finished with a 1-0 win. IU fell to Saint Louis 1-0 last season in their only meeting. Ackley said he believes this will be the toughest competition of the season.
“I feel this will be the two hardest games all season,” Ackley said. “And with our ranking, a lot of people are looking to bite at our heels.”
Freitag agreed that the Hoosiers’ ranking puts a target on his team and said he embraces it.
“We’ve had a bull’s eye for 30 years, and we’re hoping it stays there for a long time,” Freitag said. “We get everyone’s best shot, and a win against IU could make someone’s season.”
Freshman forward Michael Roach, a St. Louis native, said he thinks the game against the Billikens will be a competitive one.
“I think it’s going to be a fast-paced game with a lot of action,” Roach said. “It’ll be a lot of people watching the game because they love the game of soccer and they know the tradition of IU and Saint Louis.”
Freitag said Saint Louis tested IU last year and that they can redeem themselves this year.
“Last year, Creighton was tough, but the Saint Louis game was the only one where I thought we were outplayed,” he said. “I know the guys were embarrassed by their performance [against Saint Louis], and now we have a chance to right that wrong.”