Indiana University
Butler
No. 23 Indiana Blanks Butler, 2-0
10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 7, 2008
Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS - Playing in a driving rain for most of the evening, No. 23 Indiana (6-3-2) scored early and added an insurance score in the second half for a 2-0 win at Butler (7-2-2) Tuesday night at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indiana struck just 11 seconds into the match as Daniel Kelly scored his second goal of the season thanks to a Butler miscue. Bulldogs keeper Nick Hegeman misplayed a ball sent back to him and Kelly pounced on the loose ball for the score.
"I think that first goal affected them because it can be deflating when you give up a goal that early," said head coach Mike Freitag. "It is nice to get a couple of goals and more importantly get the win."
It is the fastest goal ever to start a match for Indiana, topping the old record of 16 seconds set by Mike Hyella against Saint Louis on Oct. 2, 1982.
We tried to get after them from the get go," Kelly said "Their goalkeeper took a touch and it skipped right to me. We came out focused and wanted to bounce back and get the win."
Frank Patano had a dangerous chance for Butler in the 22nd minute with a header that IU `keeper Chay Cain was able to catch for the save. In the 23rd minute Andy Adlard sent in a serve that Hegeman had to leap up and punch out for the save.
Eric Alexander had a breakaway opportunity in the 27th minute but a kick save from Hegeman prevented another IU score. Just over a minute later there was a flurry of play in front of the Butler goal as several Hoosiers had an opportunity to get a foot on the ball but could not break down the Butler defense.
Butler's Kyle VondenBenken blasted a shot off the crossbar in the 43rd minute for the most dangerous chance of the half.
The second half was fairly dormant until 66:04 when Neil Wilmarth found himself in the right place at the right time for the second goal of the match. The series began with a corner from Adlard that the BU defense popped over the net, setting up a second corner. That corner was cleared out to John Mellencamp in the back. Mellencamp served the ball in toward the box and it bounced around until Wilmarth got a foot on it a sent in a shot that bounced off the right post and just peeked into the net.
It was Wilmarth's second score of the season.
Patano had a 1-v-1 opportunity with Cain in the 73rd minute that sailed high and right. Butler got another look at the IU net when Michael Clayton sent in a blazing shot from 20 yards out that Cain lept to get a hand on and punch over.
Eduardo Garcia had another chance for Butler in the 82nd minute when IU could not clear the ball out of the penalty area, setting up a clear shot for Garcia that he sent wide.
"I think that may have been our toughest foe to date," Freitag said. "They didn't make it easy for us tonight."
Butler finished the match with a 12-10 shot advantage, while Cain recorded four saves for his fourth shutout of the season.
Senior Billy Weaver got the starting nod as IU was without the services of Brad Ring who had to serve a one-game suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season last Saturday against Michigan. John Mellencamp, who wore the captain's armband for the match, dropped back into Ring's defensive mid role.
Indiana returns to Big Ten action on Sunday as it travels to Michigan State (5-4-0, 2-1-0 Big Ten). Match time is 2:30 p.m. in East Lansing, Mich. The Hoosiers are currently 1-1 in Big Ten play.
