National Soccer Festival to Test #1 Hoosiers

What comes with being at the top of the pyramid is always having a large target on your back from those programs who are just behind you. Indiana's first opponents come in the form of the National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne, IN.

First up will be Marquette, ranked 8th coming into this preseaon tournament. After suffering an early exit from last season's tournament at the hands of Northwestern, the Golden Eagles will be looking to show the 1-nil loss was a fluke.

MU went 16-4-1 last season, and return their strong core mixed with experience and rising talent. Among that incoming talent is C. Nortey, a redshirt sophomore who will bring the attack to the next level.

The second game in the fixture is against an all too familiar foe for the Hoosiers, the University of North Carolina. In 2012, the Tar Heels finished with a record of 16-4-3 and reached the quarterfinals where they fell to the Hoosiers 1-0, ironically the same score they used to defeat Indiana the year before en route to their own national title.

UNC round out the nation's top 5 for the upcoming preseason. While a strong seven starters return for the Carolina blue and white, the biggest hole the team must fill is in the goalkeeper position as Scott Goodwin, who has been a rock in the net for the past several seasons.

While the Festival will be held in Indiana, don't expect the Hoosiers to bring home two easy wins. Not only are the opponents of the highest caliber, but the Hoosiers will have to answer questions of their own, including how to replace their own void in goal left by graduated senior Luis Soffner, who now plays for the New England Revolution. Add that to losing forward Eriq Zavaleta to the Seattle Sounders, and the task looks daunting.

During the offseason, the Hoosiers did add a major transfer in the form of Dylan Mares from Louisville. Not only has he played for a top tier program, but is also from Zionsville, IN, where he played with both A.J. Corrado and Harrison Petts.

The National Soccer Festival, along with the Hoosiers' 2013 campaign, begins on August 22nd and ends on the 24th. Following these two preseason games will the be annual adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, which will be the official start for this season.