Naperville North soccer star Alex Barger had other suitors, but he stayed true to his “dream school.”
The junior forward committed to Indiana on Monday, becoming the second Naperville North player this month to commit to a Division I program. Senior forward Cam Radeke committed to Wright State last week.
Indiana, DePaul and Loyola all offered Barger last week. He also was talking with Northern Illinois, Syracuse and Yale.
“At the end of the day, I really loved IU, and I went with them,” Barger said. “I’m super excited to go to IU to be in such a competitive program.
“IU has had a ton of success in the last couple years, and I’m excited to be a part of that. It’s a huge deal for me and my family.”
Indiana, which has won eight national championships since 1973, has been on Barger’s radar since he attended its summer camp when he was in eighth grade. He’s gone back every year since and took his official visit Sept. 5.
“It’s been a dream school of mine,” Barger said. “When I went on my visit, they toured me around. It’s an amazing campus, amazing coaches. I got to see some of the practices and a game, and it just looked like an amazing environment that I couldn’t pass up.”
Barger will be the fourth Naperville North player to suit up for the Hoosiers, who have won the past three Big Ten championships. On that list are 1988 graduate Bill Fleck, 2002 graduate Brian Plotkin and 2019 graduate Josh Penn.
Fleck was a high school teammate of current Naperville North coach Jim Konrad. Plotkin helped Indiana win back-to-back national titles in 2003 and 2004 and is the coach at Army. Plotkin and Penn each played one year for the Huskies.
“We’re thrilled for Alex,” Konrad said. “In the Midwest, that’s one of the dream schools. That was Alex’s dream for the last few years. He achieved it, so I couldn’t be happier.”
Barger is a talented attacker and defender. As a freshman, he started at left back on North’s 2019 supersectional team before moving to forward, where he tallied 13 goals and seven assists as a sophomore.
Barger, who is tied with Radeke for the team scoring lead with four goals and four assists, is quick to share credit for his success.
“I can’t do it without my teammates,” Barger said. “They’ve been supporting me through all of this, and they definitely made an impact on my development curve. I’m super honored to have them as teammates.”
Barger also credits Konrad for helping him get the Indiana opportunity. Konrad said Barger made a wise choice.
“Alex will do well in an environment like that — a high-pressure, professional-type environment,” Konrad said. “Coach (Todd) Yeagley does a fantastic job making it like a family, but it’s also more competitive. A lot of those guys want to be pros. So I think this is a perfect fit for Alex.”
Indiana’s coaches have told Barger they plan to use him at forward for a year or two and then shift him to left back, which is his preferred position. He’s comfortable at either one and feels good about having made his college choice early.
“There is something to say about having this locked down and secured, but obviously, my work isn’t done,” Barger said. “I have to keep working to get better at things and help my team out.
“Not everyone who wants to play college soccer has an offer yet. So I’m playing for them, too, and hoping they can get something on the table.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
