Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Wake Forest
Plotkin Sends Hoosiers Past Wake Forest
9/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 2, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 23rd edition of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic saw another instant classic as the two-time defending national champion and consensus No. 1 Indiana men's soccer team defeated No. 10 Wake Forest, 1-0, on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. The 4,272 raucous fans leapt to their feet as senior midfield Brian Plotkin broke the scoreless deadlock in the 82nd minute propelling the Hoosiers to a season-opening victory. It marks the third straight season, the Hoosiers opened with a victory.
"It was a good opener," Indiana head coach Mike Freitag said. "Wake Forest made it a little difficult on us, but they are definitely a well-coached, quality team. I felt like our seniors stepped up and played well. Brian Plotkin, Mike Ambersley and Jordan Chirico each had good matches and showed their experience. There were definitely some things we need to work on, but it was a good way to start the season."
The Lisle, Ill., native received a threaded pass from junior midfielder John Michael Hayden. Plotkin touched the ball forward and fired a bullet toward the right post. Wake Forest goalkeeper Brian Edwards was able to get a slight touch on the ball only to see the ball deflect off his hand and into the back of the net.
"Brian is one of the best players in college soccer," Freitag said. "He came up big tonight with a strong match. He was not on any of the preseason All-America lists, and I think he is deserving of that recognition. He is a leader on our team and showed it tonight."
Wake Forest had a chance to knot the game less than a minute later when midfielder Sam Cronin flicked a header past sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe, but the Hoosier defense, namely sophomore Charley Traylor, cleared the ball off the line to deny the Demon Deacons the equalizer.
The turning point of the defensive struggle came in the 61st minute as freshman forward Lee Nguyen found Hayden on the left side just inside the 18-yard box. Hayden cut back to the right and unleashed a bending shot toward the far post missing the iron by inches. The Hoosiers took to the offensive and tallied eight more shots with Plotkin finally breaking the defense.
Nguyen opened his Hoosier career with a trio of solid scoring opportunities. After recovering a missed clearance by the Wake Forest defense in the 65th minute, the Richardson, Texas, native cut back inside the 18, but another Wake Forest defender caught him from behind toeing the ball away.
Nguyen had another solid scoring chance in the 75th minute when junior forward Jacob Peterson found him just outside the 18 where he was able to send a striking low sinker toward the far post only to see Edwards smother the ball for the save.
Nguyen also had the match's first scoring chance in the seventh minute. After a pass from junior midfielder Josh Tudela, Nguyen broke free on the right side, beat a defender to the ball and drove the ball toward the near post only to see his shot pushed wide and out by Edwards.
Senior forward Mike Ambersley earned the second half's first scoring chance. The Ballwin, Mo., native juked a defender on the right side of the 18 in the 53rd minute and unleased a shot that sailed over the bar. The chance broke the game's pace which saw the teams struggling for possession in the midfield.
Hayden also had a strong scoring chance in the 69th minute. Plotkin found Peterson on the right side, who flicked the ball to the Louisville, Ky., native. Hayden volleyed the ball toward the net, but the Demon Deacon defense deflected the ball wide of the goal.
In what proved to be a strong showing, redshirt freshman forward Kevin Noschang earned himself a chance to post the season's first goal in the 77th minute. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native came fresh off the bench and broke free inside the 18 and flicked an off-balance shot, but Edwards grabbed the ball to make the save.
Munroe notched his first career shutout for the Hoosiers, but was not called upon to make a save on the evening. The Demon Deacons goalkeeper Edwards finished with four blocks in the loss.
The Hoosiers close out the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic on Sunday when they host the No. 7 SMU Mustangs at 2 p.m. on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. The No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, fresh off a 4-1 drubbing of SMU in the classic opener, will start the final day of the classic in a battle with the No. 10 Wake Forest Demon Deacons beginning at noon.
