Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Wisconsin
Indiana's Second-Half Barrage Dooms Wisconsin
10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 15, 2005
MADISON, Wis. - The two-time defending national champion men's soccer team got a trio of second-half goals, including a pair of junior forward Jacob Peterson, to down a feisty Wisconsin squad, 5-2, on Friday night. The Hoosiers never trailed, but the conference foes traded first half goals before IU scoring barrage in the second half. Indiana improves to 8-1-3 on the year and 2-1-1 in Big Ten action, while Wisconsin falls to 4-9-0 overall and 0-3-0 in conference play.
"It was a very exciting soccer match," Indiana head coach Mike Freitag said. "We played some very attractive, offensive soccer. I was proud of the way the boys responded and answered each of Wisconsin's goals. Give the Badgers credit, they have some quality young players and did some very good things. We knew coming in that they were a better team than their record showed. I thought we did a good job offensively, but we need to tighten some things up in the back."
The five-goal performance marked the fourth time the Hoosiers had accomplished the feat this season. The last time an IU team had four games of five or more goals in a season was 1997. During that campaign, the Hoosiers had five matches with five or more markers. In total, four Hoosiers finished with multiple points. Peterson had two goals, while senior midfielders Jordan Chirico and Brian Plotkin, along with freshman forward Lee Nguyen had a goal and an assist each.
With just over six minutes gone in the second stanza, the Hoosiers jumped on top for the third and final time thanks to Peterson. After battling a ball away from a Badger in the midfielder, sophomore back Greg Stevning sent a ball forward, setting up Peterson with a one-on-one with UW goalkeeper Jake Settle. The Portage, Mich., native cut back past the goalkeeper and finished for his sixth marker of the season.
The Hoosiers had a pair of solid chances in the 57th minute. Senior forward Mike Ambersley juked a defender and sent a low cross to the near post. Peterson gathered, turned and fired, but Settled pushed the ball wide. The Hoosiers corralled the deflection, and Ambersley ended up with the ball on the right side. The Ballwin, Mo., native hit a shot toward the far post that the UW goalkeeper batted down.
Less than a minute later, Peterson struck again to give Indiana an insurmountable lead at 4-2. In the 58th minute, junior back Jed Zayner sent a cross from the right flank. The UW goalkeeper misplayed the ball and it floated over his head to Nguyen, who flicked a ball on net with his back toward the goal. The shot was cleared wide and out off the line for a corner kick by Wisconsin defender Aaron Hohlbein. On the ensuing corner, Nguyen found Peterson on the back post and the first team All-Big Ten player from a season ago headed the ball inside the near post. It was Nguyen's fifth helper on the season.
"Jacob is a special player," Freitag said. "He has a knack for scoring goals, and he did just that tonight. Those goals gave us the cushion we needed. He has been pressing a bit to get in the scoring column, but he broke out tonight. Jacob is one of the top players in the country, and I have a lot of confidence in him."
Chrico made it 5-2 with his first goal of the season at the 63:35 mark. It was a roommate connection as Plotkin served a ball into the box from the left flank. It found Chirico, who chested the ball down and scored to the far post.
With 7:37 remaining, Wisconsin had a chance to draw within two. B.J. Goodman was taken down by a Hoosier defender on the right side of the 18, resulting in UW penalty shot. Hohlbein took the attempt for the Badgers, but his shot to the right corner was pushed wide by sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe. For the match, Munroe finished with five saves in the Hoosier victory.
In the opening half, the Hoosiers jumped on top twice only to see Wisconsin battle back. IU opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Ambersley juked a defender on the right side and sent a low cross toward the six-yard line. Peterson made a nice run onto the ball and while attempting to flick the ball over the goalkeeper was taken down, resulting in a Hoosier penalty kick. With 14:49 showing on the clock, Nguyen converted the 12-yard kick for his fourth tally and second PK of the season.
Less than three minutes later, the Hoosiers nearly made it 2-0. After nice run across the middle of the field, Nguyen led Ambersley into the right side of the 18. Ambersley settled the ball, but his attempt was batted down by an oncoming Settle. The ball ended up on the foot of Nguyen, but his shot went high over the crossbar.
In the 21st minute, Sho Fujita drew a penalty kick for the Badgers after he was taken down 12 yards from goal. At 20:56, Victor Diaz converted the PK into the right side of the net to even the match up, 1-1.
Indiana regained the lead just four minutes later. Junior midfielder John Michael Hayden settled a ball forward to Chirico on the left side. The senior midfielder drew the defender and led Plotkin. The Lisle, Ill., native unleashed a bending shot into the right side of the net from 30 yards out reminiscent of the game-winner against Wake Forest in the Hoosiers' opening game of the season. It was Chirico's third assist on the season and Plotkin's fifth tally.
"Brian is one of the leaders of our team and one of the best players in the America," Freitag said. "I thought he did an excellent job of controlling the midfield, and helping up maintain possession. He had a great game tonight, and that was an impressive goal he scored."
Less than a minute later, Diaz hit a shot from 25 yards out. Hoosier goalkeeper Munroe got in front to stop the attempt, but it deflected off his chest. The ball bounced out to Fujita, who tried to lift a shot over an oncoming Munroe, but it went high over the crossbar.
In the 35th minute, Chirico beat a defender toward the endline and sent a low cross toward the middle of the box. It found the foot of Nguyen, but his attempt went high over the crossbar.
Under two minutes later, Nguyen gathered a failed clearance on the left side of the field. He led Plotkin into the 18, but the Badger goalkeeper got a hand on his lob shot forcing the ball wide of the net.
In the 43rd minute, the Badgers evened it up at two. Nick Caronna served a ball across the 18 and onto the head of Matthew Jelacic, who flicked it back. Reid Johnson ended up with the ball and slide a shot into the left post past Munroe.
The Hoosiers return to action on Sunday, Oct. 16, in Evanston, Ill. Indiana will face off with Northwestern (7-4-0, 1-2-0 in the Big Ten) at 3 p.m.
