The ISU Soccer Club has recently qualified for the National Soccer Tournament, which will be held November 19-24 in Phoenix, Ariz. The club qualified by winning the regional tournament in Topeka, Kansas. ISU has big hopes as they feel they should be a contender for the championship.

The tournament is composed of 16 teams from various regionals spread throughout the country. ISU is looking for the best competition from Weber State, Utah State, and Tennessee. The tournament starts out with three pool-play games which narrow the field down to eight teams, followed by single elimination.

Where does ISU feel they rank against the best collegiate soccer clubs in the nation? Chad Zmolek, the team captain, strongly feels his team is in the top five, and that they have a good chance of winning it.

Some strengths Zmolek’s team has going into the tournament are experience and a very well-rounded team. The same teammates have been playing together for three years, so he knows they all have a feel for each other.

Defense is also a positive in ISU’s game, along with their great depth.

Can you believe that this team is one of the best in the nation, and they have no coach? Zmolek chuckles at this misfortune. “Other teams think we are raggy looking. We have no coach, and no scholarships. We’re just a club,” Zmolek said.

But they will have their first coach for the tournament.

In one of the last games of the regionals, Zmolek pulled a muscle in his leg, which will put him out of play for the rest of the tournament.

“It’s really disappointing, but I’m happy for the rest of the team,” Zmolek said.

ISU’s record for the season is 9-3-0, and from the start of the season, their goal was to qualify for the national tournament. Last year they barely missed qualifying for the tournament. “Our team got too serious about winning and qualifying, instead of just having fun,” Zmolek said. That is just what they’re doing this year, as ISU qualified for the national tournament for the first time in school history.

“This was our goal, and we were ecstatic when we achieved it,” Zmolek said.