Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Downs Louisville, 2-0 (10-29-03)
10/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Louisville, Ky. -- The No. 11 Indiana men's soccer team ran its longest win streak of the season to seven straight as it defeated the Louisville Cardinals, 2-0, Wednesday night at Cardinal Park.
Not only do the Hoosiers improve their record to 9-3-4 overall, but they posted their fifth shutout in the last six games. Junior goalkeeper Jay Nolly held an opponent without a goal for the seventh time this season. Louisville drops to 10-6-2, as Indiana handed the Cardinals their first loss in seven games.
"This was an important one for us," head coach Jerry Yeagley said, "A good win in a tough game. We missed Danny O'Rourke tonight in the air. I thought Louisville was better than us in the air and took us out of our comfort zone, which is playing the ball on the ground. We did some really good things in spurts on the ground tonight. Fortunately, our defense held strong and didn't give up too many easy chances."
O'Rourke served a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation. He received his fifth yellow card in IU's last match, a 2-1 victory over then No. 5 Saint Louis.
IU took the lead at the 39:15 into the match on sophomore Trey Meek's second goal of the season. Senior midfielder Drew Shinabarger regained possession of the ball for the Hoosiers and sent it to sophomore midfielder Brian Plotkin down field. Meek and Plotkin played give-and-go until Plotkin fed Meek a nice cross pass six yards from the goal. Meek knocked the ball into the lower left corner for the score. Meek had substituted into the match just minutes before breaking the scoreless tie.
"Coach (Yeagley) focuses a lot on transition from defense to offense," Meek said. "I played give-and-go with Plotkin. When he crossed it into me, I was on the near post and I knew I'd need just one touch on the ball to put it in."
In the first half, Indiana out-shot the Cardinals, 7-6, and forced UofL goalkeeper David Gisler to make three saves.
In the second half, Louisville turned up its intensity and took 10 shots. Nolly stepped up to make seven saves for the Hoosiers in goal.
In the 82nd minute, IU capitalized on a Cardinal defensive breakdown. Junior co-captain Ned Grabavoy slipped through the defense to set up a one-on-one situation. Grabavoy dished the ball off to freshman Jacob Peterson .Peterson slipped the ball past Louisville's second-half starter in goal Brad Sokolowski and into the lower right corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season. The goal was Peterson's first in non-conference play and increased his season point total to 11.
Yeagley praised Shinabarger for his play in O'Rourke's absence in the defensive midfield position. The Hoosier coach also singled out sophomore back Drew Moor's defensive performance.
"Drew Shinabarger did a really nice job tonight," Yeagley noted. "He helped create our first goal. I also thought Drew Moor did a nice job on (Louisville forward) Simon Bird. He limited him to mostly distance shots. He's a handful."
Bird finished the match with eight shots, including four on goal.
The Hoosiers will play their second straight match against a team from neighboring Kentucky and look to extend their win streak to eight when the UK Wildcats visit Bloomington on Sunday, Nov. 2. Start time is set for 2 p.m. and the first 2,000 fans through the gates at Armstrong Stadium will receive a free Jerry Yeagley Bobblehead doll, courtesy of adidas.
