Indiana University Athletics
IU To Face Butler, Michigan (10-02-02)
10/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 2, 2002
Bloomington, Ind. -- The No. 4 Indiana soccer team will hit the field twice this week. The Hoosiers close out a five-game road stint on Thursday with a non-conference contest against the Butler University Bulldogs. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis. For the first time since Sept. 10, Indiana will return home to Bill Armstrong Stadium as it hosts Michigan in its Big Ten home opener on Sunday, Oct. 6. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and is the first game of a Hoosier doubleheader. The IU women's team takes on Northwestern immediately following at 4 p.m.
The Hoosiers are riding a five-game winning streak and currently own a 6-1-2 record overall and a 2-0-0 mark in Big Ten Conference play. IU played just one game last week at then No. 12 Penn State on Friday and came away with a 1-0 win in double overtime. Sophomore Ned Grabavoy sealed the win with a penalty kick in the sixth minute of the second overtime session.
Senior All-Americans Ryan Mack and Pat Noonan are leading the Hoosier offensive charge with a team-best 14 points apiece. In addition, Grabavoy has exploded as of late and is next with eight points on one goal and six assists. All of his points have come in the last four games.
Among Big Ten teams, Indiana ranks first in goals allowed per game with an 0.67 average. The Hoosiers gave up five goals in their first four games, but have held their opponents to just one score in the last five outings.
The Hoosiers lead the all-time series with the Butler, 12-1-0. Indiana has won the last eight meetings with the Bulldogs. Last season, Indiana posted a 3-0 victory against Butler in Bloomington Oct. 4.
About Butler
Butler enters Thursday's contest with a 3-6-1 record and is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Evansville. Though they haven't played yet this season, the Hoosiers and the Bulldogs are familiar with one another. Butler competed in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic Aug. 30-31 in Bloomington, taking on Rutgers and Clemson. The Hoosiers won the Butler University SoccerFest after wins over Air Force (Sept. 13) and Hartwick (Sept. 15) at Kuntz Stadium.
Nick Pantazzi leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Michael Mariscalco is next with 10 points on three goals and four assists.
Joe Sochacki is in his sixth season at Butler overall and his second as head coach.
About Michigan
Coming into Saturday's matchup with Indiana, the Wolverines are 3-4-1 on the season and 0-1-0 Big Ten action, with their loss coming at Penn State, 1-0, on Sept. 22. Cameron Knox is Michigan's leading scorer, with six goals and three assits for a total of 14 points. Mychal Turpin is hot on his tail with 14 points on seven goals. While Knox ranks second in points (15) among league players, Turpin is tied with Indiana's Ryan Mack and Pat Noonan for third with 14.
Indiana is 4-0-0 all-time versus U-M, including a pair of wins last season. IU defeated Michigan, 3-0, in Ann Arbor on Oct. 7, during the regular season and picked up a 1-0 victory in the Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 9.
The Wolverines are coached by Steve Burns, who has been at Michigan since 1993. He has been the head coach since the program attained varsity status prior to the 2000 season.
Nolly Named Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week
Jay Nolly was tabbed this week's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week the league office announced Tuesday. Nolly, the Hoosiers' goalkeeper, helped IU to a tough overtime road win over Penn State last week and upped its record to 6-1-2 overall and 2-0-0 in Big Ten play.
Nolly recorded his fifth shutout of the season, including his fourth in the last five games, in the double overtime win at PSU. Though the sophomore goalie was only credited with one save, he broke up several plays and cleaned several balls out of the box to hold the Nittany Lions scoreless. The Littleton, Colo. (Chatfield HS) product anchored the Indiana defensive effort as the Hoosiers were forced to play with 10 players during the final 34 minutes of the game. Nolly's goals-against average rests at 0.63 on the season and his record matches Indiana's at 6-1-2.
The weekly honor is a career first for Nolly, who is in his first season as Indiana's starting goalkeeper.
The Defense Never Rests
Coming into the 2002 season, it seemed the Indiana defense would need time to solidify itself. After all, the Hoosiers lost three starters (backs Ryan Hammer and Josh Rife and goalkeeper Colin Rogers) to graduation in 2001. Last season's defensive unit led the nation in goals against average and shutout percentage.
Behind the leadership of senior co-captain John Swann and senior Phil Presser, who made the move to play the sweeper position after starting for two seasons in the midfield, Indiana has five shutouts in nine games. After missing last season due to an injury junior David Prall has moved back into the lineup as a starter as well.
Sophomore Danny O'Rourke is picking up right where he left off last season in the defensive midfield spot. After allowing just one goal in the last five games, sophomore Jay Nolly is coming into his own. The Littleton, Colo., ranks No. 12 among the nation's goalkeepers with an 0.63 goals against average.
Pair of Player of the Year Candidates
Nine games into the season, senior All-Americans Pat Noonan and Ryan Mack are proving why they are two of the nation's best. Equally productive, both Noonan and Mack have scored 14 points on five goals and four assists this season. The duo ranks among the Big Ten's best in nearly every offensive category. In all games, Noonan leads the league in shots taken (40) while Mack ranks fourth (29). Both are tied for third in points, fifth in goals, fourth in assists and game-winning goals (2).
Noonan, a forward, led the Hoosiers with 16 goals and 12 assists on his way to Big Ten Player of the Year and NSCAA first-team All-America honors in 2001. The Ballwin, Mo., product was also a second-team All-American in 2000. Mack, who plays in the midfield, who was forced to redshirt the 2001 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and third-team All-America in 2000.
Big Ten Streak
The Hoosiers hold a 32-game regular season win streak. IU also owns a 36-game unbeaten streak. The victory streak started on Oct. 18, 1996, with a triumph over Wisconsin. The last time Indiana dropped a regular season conference match to a Big Ten opponent was on Oct. 13, 1995, at Wisconsin. On Oct. 4, 1996, the Hoosiers tied Penn State, 1-1.
Eclipsing The Century Mark
Already a two-time All-American and one of the finest soccer players in IU history, senior Pat Noonan added another impressive achievement to his list credentials on Sept. 22 at Michigan State. Noonan became the 14th player in Indiana history to score 100 points in his career. With 104 points, the Hoosier co-captain ranks 12th on the all-time scoring list.
Grabavoy Getting In On the Action
Sophomore Ned Grabavoy has burst into the scoring column in the last four games for Indiana. The sophomore midfielder was responsible for the game-winning penalty kick in the second overtime at Penn State last Friday. Grabavoy also matched an IU single-game record with four assists at Michigan State on Sept. 22. He shares the mark with former Hoosier All-Americans Todd Yeagley and Angelo DiBernardo. Grabavoy's eight points on the season rank third on the team. The New Lenox, Ill., product was the National Player of the Year coming out of high school, but was injured during preseason a year ago. He was forced to the sidelines for the first half of the 2001 season.
Poll Position
The Hoosiers have taken another step up in the polls this week. IU ranks No. 4 in both the adidas/NSCAA poll and the Soccer Times poll. The Hoosiers are third the Soccer America poll and No. 2 in the College Soccer News rankings. IU began the season as a consensus No. 1 but slipped as low as No. 9 after a pair of ties and a loss at St. John's in its first four games.
Indiana also is the top-ranked team in the Great Lakes Region.
Preseason All-Americans
A trio of Hoosier seniors have been named to College Soccer News' preseason All-America teams. Forward Pat Noonan and midfielder Ryan Mack are members of the first team while defender John Swann is a second-team selection. The publication released three teams comprised of 11 players each. IU is the only team with two first-team representatives and also has the most selections overall with three.
In addition, Noonan was selected to Soccer America's 11-player preseason All-America team.
CORNER KICKS
• Indiana's all-time record in Big Ten Conference play is 53-4-2.
• The Hoosiers have out-shot their opponents, 127-71, to this point in the season. IU also has 57 shots on goal to its opponents' 22.
• Pat Noonan, Ryan Mack, John Swann, Vijay Dias, David Prall, Phil Presser, Danny O'Rourke and Jay Nolly have started all nine games for Indiana.
• Indiana ranks first among Big Ten teams with a 0.67 goals allowed average in nine games.
• Senior sweeper Phil Presser will miss Thursday's game at Butler after being issued a red card at Penn State last Friday. He will return for Sunday's contest versus Michigan. Sophomore Michael Bowditch will likely fill Presser's starting spot at Butler.
