Indiana University Athletics
Soccer To Travel to UCONN (11-29-02)
11/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 29, 2002
Bloomington, Ind. - Indiana is 1-0 in NCAA Tournament play after a 1-0 victory over Notre Dame Wednesday night. Next up: a trip to Storrs, Conn., to take on No. 7 seed and eighth-ranked UCONN. The match is set for Sunday, Dec. 1, with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.Live statistics and a radio broadcast of the match will be availabe on Connecticut's web site (www.uconnhuskies.com). For direct links, visit Indiana's official site at iuhoosiers.com
Indiana Update
Ranked fifth in the latest NSCAA poll, but unseeded in the tournament, the Hooisers are 15-3-2 on the season and making their 27th all-time and 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. IU is also attempting to qualify for the College Cup for the sixth straight season and for the 16th time in school history.
The Hoosiers made this season's NCAA Tournament by way of an at-large bid. Indiana won the Big Ten Conference regular season title with a perfect 6-0 record, but fell in the semifinals of the confernece tournament to eventual champion Penn State, a team that is still alive in the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana received a first-round bye and hosted No. 21 Notre Dame Wednesday night in Bloomington. Behind Big Ten Freshman of the Year Brian Plotkin's first goal of the season, IU picked a 1-0 win to advance to the third round.
Hoosier Leaders
National Player-of-the-Year finalist Pat Noonan leads Indiana with 37 points on a team-high 14 goals and nine assists. He finished the regular season ranked first among all Big Ten players in goals and points on his way to earning conference player-of the-year honors for the second straight season. Noonan has scored 17 points in IU's last six games, an average of almost three points a game. Overall Noonan ranks tied for 17th nationally in points per game at 1.95.
Fellow National-Player-of-the-Year finalist Ryan Mack ranks second on the squad with 21 points on six goals and nine assists. Mack is a four-time All-Big Ten selection.
Sophomore Ned Grabavoy is third on the team with 20 points on six goals and eight assists. Grabavoy assisted on Brian Plotkin's game winner versus Notre Dame. The consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick led all league players with 15 points in conference games.
Defensively, IU has been solid all season long and currently ranks 18th nationally (as of Nov. 24) in goals-against average Indiana has recorded eight shutouts and with a shutout against Notre Dame, its GAA has dropped to 0.76. Sophomore goalkeeper Jay Nolly has an 0.77 GAA, 44 saves and a record of 15-3-2.
About UCONN
With a season record of 16-5-0, the Huskies are ranked No. 8 in the latest NSCAA poll and are the tournament's No. 7 seed. UCONN received a first-round bye and defeated Penn, 4-0, on second round action in Storrs to advance into the third round.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Damani Ralph is the team's leading scorer. Ralph, a senior, has tallied 18 goals, including nine game-winners, and five assists on his way to 41 points. He joins Hoosiers Pat Noonan and Ryan Mack on the list of 15 finalists for this M.A.C Hermann Trophy, which honors college soccer's player of the year.
Junior Cesar Cuellar is next for the Huskies with 33 points on 15 goals and three assists. As a team UCONN has scored 51 goals and given up 19. Goalkeeper Adam Schuerman has an 0.90 GAA and 67 saves in 1895:24 minutes of action. His record matches at the team's at 16-5-0.
UCONN is coached by Ray Reid is in his sixth season at the helm.
The Indiana-UCONN Series
The Hoosiers and the Huskies have met just three times their histories and not since 1981. Indiana owns a 2-1 advantage, but UCONN won the last meeting, 3-1, on Sept. 6, 1981, in Storrs.
On the Road Again...
As Indiana heads to UCONN for its third round tournament game, it will mark the first time the Hoosiers have played an NCAA game, other than those in the College Cup , on the road since Dec. 2, 2000 at North Carolina. IU played its second and third round and quarterfinals contests at home in 2001. But that's not to say the Hoosiers haven't been tournament tested on the road.
In 2000, the Hoosiers were sent on the road from the start of tournament play, traveling to San Jose State, to Washington and to UNC for three consecutive weeks en route the College Cup in Charolette, N.C.
The Hoosiers and the NCAA Tournament
Since the inception of the varsity program in 1973, Indiana has been a staple in the NCAA Tournament. This season, IU is making its 16th consecutive appearance in the tournament. The Hoosiers have earned a bid 27 times and made 15 trips to the College Cup. In 11 of the those trips, IU has played in the national title game and won the championship five times. Here's a look at the updated numbers:
Overall NCAA Record: 63-21 (.750) Ranks first in the Nation
At Home: 47-3 (.940)
At Bill Armstrong Stadium: 40-3 (.930)
NCAA Championships: 5 Ranks second in the Nation
NCAA Appearances: 27 Ranks third in the Nation
NCAA Tournament Wins: 64 tied for first in the Nation
NCAA College Cup Appearances: 15 Ranks second in the Nation
Rookie Rises to the Occasion
Freshman Brian Plotkin has created some excellent scoring opportunities in the final third of the season. Despite attempting 39 shots, which ranked on the team coming to Wednesday's game, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year had yet to convert a goal. But, the second round of the NCAA Tournament was the perfect time to break through. Plotkin provided the game winner in the 52nd minute, to push the Hooisers past the Notre Dame. The Lisle, Ill., native now has eight points on the season.
Indiana vs. The 2002 Tournament Field
During the regular season, the Hoosiers played six games against teams who made this season's NCAA Tournament field, including four games against teams that earned first-round byes. IU's record in those games is 3-2-1. Clemson, William & Mary, St. John's and Penn State are all still alive in the Round of 16. Here's a look at the regular season outcomes:
Clemson T, 1-1 8/31/02
William & Mary W, 2-1 9/6/02
No. 3 Seed at St. John's L, 3-0 9/7/02
at Penn State W, 1-0 (2OT) 9/27/02
UC-Santa Barbara W, 3-1 10/27/02
at Penn State L, 2-1 (PKs) 11/15/02
In the National Rankings...
Indiana appears in four sets of the Nov. 24 national statistical rankings compiled by the NCAA. Here's a look at the numbers:
• The defense ranks 18th with an 0.80 goals against average.
• Pat Noonan is tied for No. 18 nationally in points per game (1.95). He has scored 37 points overall.
• Ned Grabavoy's four assists at Michigan State on Sept. 22 put him tied for second in single-game assists.
• With its 14-3-2 record, Indiana was 12th in the country in win-loss percentage (0.789).
NOTES AND TIDBITS
•The last time Indiana played Notre Dame in its first round of the tournament was in 1994. The Hoosiers made the College Cup that year.
• For the sescond straight week, IU will play a team from the BIG EAST. The Hoosiers own a 5-0 record all-time against team from the BIG EAST in NCAA play.
• The Hoosiers are 1-1-1 against team from the BIG EAST in 2002. Indiana defeated Notre Dame (1-0, 11-27-02), lost at St. John's (3-0, 9-7-02) and tied Rutgers (0-0, 8-30-02).
• Pat Noonan, Ryan Mack, David Prall and Jay Nolly are the only players to start all 20 games for Indiana.
• The Hoosiers' match against UCONN marks the seventh time this season they will play a team ranked in the NSCAA's Top 25 Poll.
• During conference play, the Hooisers outscored their opponents, 19-5.
• IU's all-time record in Big Ten Conference play is 57-4-2.
• Indiana had five different players earn nine weekly honors from the Big Ten Conference, the most of any league school.
