HOOVER, Ala. – Indiana goalkeeper Luis Soffner wouldn’t stop smiling.

An ear-to-ear grin sat plastered on his face in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s College Cup final triumph as the victorious Hoosiers discussed their 1-0 win over Georgetown.

“I’m just so excited,” Soffner said. “This is my fifth year here in Indiana, and we’ve come close in the three previous years I’ve been playing. Especially to go out like this to end my career in Indiana here on top, being a champion, is the best feeling ever… I’m proud of our team, keeping our fight going.”

The fight displayed in the victory had added inspiration – not just from the program’s illustrious history. Scores of fans docked in Hoosier red and white dotted Regions Park as the current crop of stars wrote a new chapter in program lore.

Fans were present in great numbers for the Friday semifinal against Creighton, but it seemed like the Hoosier faithful issued and responded to a rallying cry when the team earned passage to the final.

The significance of that wasn’t lost on the group of players that secured the triumph.

“The history that Indiana soccer has developed throughout the years, it was amazing to see that here with the fans and the alums,” midfielder Nikita Kotlov, who scored the game winning goal, said. “We had an amazing fan base, and it feels even better to be a part of that now, to be a part of IU history in soccer.”

Added head coach Todd Yeagley: “There’s no prouder group of people than those that support IU soccer. From our fans across the country to our alumni, they had a consistent experience that makes it special so when they see the opportunity for these players to be in their shoes, and they want to be there for them, and that’s what it was today. The sendoff at the hotel was amazing, people drove in all last night, and it moves everyone in our program.”

Yeagley proceeded to rattle off other extraordinary tales of support. Danny O’Rourke, a midfielder for the Columbus Crew, and two-time national champion at IU in 2003 and 2004, booked a one-way ticket to Birmingham. Countless others drove through the night, including Jordan Hulls, a standout point guard on the school’s basketball team

“The stories are unbelievable…there are so many and that moves everyone in our program, and that’s why this place is special,” Yeagley said.

Naturally, fans in the stands, as inspiring as they are, can’t win games. And at one point, it seemed like a long shot that Indiana would ever give IU fans the opportunity to head to Hoover. They stumbled through the final stage of the regular season, finishing with a 1-3-1 record, including a loss in the first round of the Big Ten tournament against Michigan State.

But the team dug deep before tournament time, shoring up a defense that went on to allow just two goals in five tournament games, shutting out both North Carolina and Creighton.

It was only then fitting to claim a third straight shutout against Georgetown’s solid attack, getting the one goal they needed to win an eighth title.

“We always said that defense wins championships, and even when we’re not having the best offensive game, our defense would come in, and every guy on the field came together and fought,” Soffner said. “We didn’t let the ball into the net, and that was our mentality. We knew that we’d get a goal, as long as the defense held tough.”