Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Michigan
Second-half Goals Propel Hoosiers Past Michigan
10/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 9, 2005
Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The two-time defending national champion Indiana men's soccer team got a pair of second-half goals in picking up a road victory over Michigan, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Lee Nguyen and junior Josh Tudela notched scores and the Hoosier defense made it stand. With the win, the No. 11 Hoosiers improved to 7-1-3 overall and 1-1-1 in the Big Ten, while the Wolverines dropped to 6-4-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference action.
"This was a great team effort and a good result," Indiana head coach Mike Freitag said. "Michigan is a tough place to play, and we took care of business, getting a victory. We got some good play off the bench from Kevin Noschang and Brad Ring. It took everyone playing well together to get this victory. Michigan plays a different style, so we had to change a few things, but the guys showed the grit to get a win."
In the 53rd minute, Noschang and senior midfielder Brian Plotkin played give and go on the left side of the 18. As Noschang back-heeled a pass to Plotkin, the Lisle, Ill., native was taken down by a Michigan defender, resulting in a Hoosier penalty kick. Nguyen took the 12-yard kick and buried it into the back of the net. It was the Richardson, Texas native's third marker of the season.
Michigan had a chance to even it up in the 58th minute. Michigan senior forward Trai Blanks unleashed a shot from 20 yards out on the left side. Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe seemed to be screened in front, but made an impressive diving save to his left, stifling the opportunity.
In the 62nd minute, Nguyen heeled a pass to Plotkin at the top of the 18. The senior midfielder's attempt was deflected wide by a U-M defender.
Nguyen set Noschang up one-on-one with the Michigan goalkeeper after a nice cut back pass to the left in the 70th minute. Noschang had his attempt stifled by senior goalkeeper Peter Dzubay. Less than a minute later, it was Nguyen ripping a shot from just outside the 18 on the left side that sailed wide of the far post.
In the 78th minute, Nguyen had another chance from the left side of the 18. His shot toward the near post was blocked wide by Dzubay. For the match, Nguyen led the Hoosiers with six shots, including three on goal.
With just 10 minutes remaining, the Hoosiers found the scoring column for the final margin at 2-0. After a dangerous cross from Plotkin on the right side went all the way across the six-yard box to the left side line, senior midfielder Jordan Chirico ran down the ball while a U-M defender was trying to hold him off. Chirico gathered the ball, ran toward goal and cut a pass back to Tudela at the top of the 18. The Evansville, Ind., native bent a shot into the far corner past a diving Dzubay. It was his third goal in the last two Hoosier matches and fifth on the season.
In total, the Hoosiers outshot U-M, 17-8. Munroe finished with two saves for the Hoosiers in picking up his sixth clean sheet of the season. IU has shut out eight of its 11 opponents this season.
The first opportunity of the game came from the Wolverines in the eighth minute. Senior forward Ryan Alexander pushed around Hoosier back Greg Stevning on the right side and punched a shot toward the near post from 15 yards out. The chance was stymied by Munroe, who made a sprawling save.
In the 15th minute, Tudela had a great chance for the Hoosiers. Making a run up the left side, he cut back toward the middle of the field and bent a shot toward the far post from 20 yards out. U-M goalkeeper Dzubay was able to get a glove on it and push it wide and out for a corner kick.
In the 21st minute, Nguyen collected a ball in the midfield and made a nice run up the middle of the pitch. He cut a pass back to junior forward Jacob Peterson along the right side. Peterson sent a shot on goal that was stopped by a diving save to Dzubay's right.
Two minutes later, senior forward Mike Ambersley and Peterson created an opportunity. Ambersley saved the ball along the left side line and made a nice flick pass to Peterson, streaking down the middle. A bad bounce eliminated the one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he corralled it and sent a pass to the right side of the 18. It ended up with Nguyen, who fired a shot over the crossbar.
In the 30th minute, Ambersley found Noschang on a header on the right side of the 18. The redshirt freshman forward settled the ball and sent it toward the left post, but it was stopped by Dzubay.
With just a minute remaining in the opening half, Nguyen earned a free kick from 25 yards out after being taken down by Michigan midfielder Adam Morrisset. Nguyen took the attempt and bent the shot just wide of the left post.
In the opening minute of the second half, U-M freshman midfielder Santos Perez sent a shot wide of the left post from 10 yards out. The play came off a feed from the right side of the field.
Less than a minute later, Plotkin tried to bend a free kick into the right side of the net from 25 yards out. Nguyen drew the free kick on the right side after a U-M defender was pulling on his jersey. Dzubay was there to stop the Hoosier chance.
Off a free kick in the 52nd minute, junior back Jed Zayner found Ambersley streaking down the field. The ball flew over a U-M defender's head and found Ambersley in the 18 on the right side. The Maize and Blue goalkeeper cut off the angle and made a save as Ambersley fired a shot from 8 yards out on the right side. Dzubay finished the game with six stops for Michigan.
The Hoosiers return to action with the final two games of the four-match road trip in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Oct. 14. Indiana will battle Wisconsin at 8 p.m. EDT. IU closes out the road trip with a Sunday, Oct. 16 affair against Northwestern at 3 p.m.
