Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Notre Dame
Indiana Dominates Irish
10/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 26, 2005
Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - On a frigid night in northern Indiana, the two-time defending national champion Indiana men's soccer team provided warmth through its offense in a 3-0 victory over the University of Notre Dame on Alumni Field. The win improves IU's record to 10-1-5 while Notre Dame falls to 9-6-2. The win gives the 2005 edition of Hoosier men's soccer its 10th marking the 19th consecutive season and 32nd in 33 years as a varsity program that IU has registered double digits in victories.
"We played Indiana Soccer tonight," Indiana head coach Mike Freitag said. "From the starters to the bench, the defense to the forwards, it was a total team effort. Notre Dame is a well-coached team, and it makes me proud to see the way the boys played tonight. We took advantage of space and defended very well. As a team, it is important that we carry this over into our final two regular season matches and the tournaments."
IU opened the scoring in the 31st minute when senior midfielder and Missouri Athletic Club (M.A.C.) Hermann Trophy candidate Brian Plotkin earned a free kick from 25 yards out. Freshman forward Lee Nguyen stepped up to take the free kick from the left center in the offensive third. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate fired a bending shot over the wall and into the upper right 90 past the diving Irish goalkeeper Chris Cahill for the game's first tally. The goal was Nguyen's fifth on the season.
The Hoosiers continued pressuring the Irish defense when Plotkin found redshirt freshman forward Kevin Noschang on a run into the 18 in the 42nd minute. The Cincinnati native gathered the ball and lifted a shot, with Cahill coming off his line, toward an open net. The ball drifted wide of the right post and out for a goal kick. The relentless pressure almost culminated just over a minute later.
It looked as if IU had taken a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute. Junior midfielder Josh Tudela fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but the Irish defense blocked the shot. Plotkin gathered the deflection and fired it into the net for what looked like the game's second tally. However, the Lisle, Ill., native was offsides by a step nullifying the goal.
IU was able to tally a second in the 52nd minute after continued control of the midfield. Senior midfielder Mike Ambersley broke into space at the top of the 18 after some strong dribbling and fired a shot toward net. The ball took a deflection off a defender and left Cahill defenseless as it drifted into the net to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead. The marker was Ambersley's fifth on the season and 16th of his IU career.
The Hoosiers put the game out of reach in the 65th minute. Tudela sent a cross to the top of the six-yard box to junior forward and M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidate Jacob Peterson. The Portage, Mich., native fired a header on goal that Cahill pushed wide. The loose ball found Ambersley in the six and after a couple of steps the Ballwin, Mo., native fired a cross back to sophomore midfielder Charley Traylor, who one-timed the ball into the net. The tally was Traylor's first career goal while the assist was Ambersley's fifth this season.
IU opened the match looking to score early and often with the first chance coming in the fifth minute. Ambersley crossed from the right side to Peterson who pushed a header wide of the left post.
In the 27th minute the Hoosiers had a trio of chances turned away by the ND defense. On a give-and-go play Plotkin found Nguyen who sent a pass through the defense to a cutting Plotkin. The Big Ten Player of the Year candidate fired a shot from the left side which was saved by Cahill. Junior back and M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidate Jed Zayner caught the rebound and fired a second shot on net which was saved by Cahill. The redirect was just touched by the foot of lunging sophomore back Greg Stevning and was cleared by the ND defense.
In the 70th minute senior midfielder Jordan Chirico had a solid scoring opportunity. The Conesus, N.Y., native got on the end of a touch from Peterson after a pass from Plotkin. Chirico fired a shot, but Cahill got down quickly for the save. He spilled the ball toward the goal line, but was able to cover it up before a streaking Nguyen sprinted into the box to put the ball away.
Notre Dame's best scoring opportunity came in the 80th minute when junior forward Justin McGeeney dribbled into open space and sent a screaming shot on net from 12 yards out. Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe made the save look easy as he quickly got down to his left to parry the attempt away and the defense cleared it out. Munroe finished with three saves as the Hoosier defense picked up its 10th shutout of the season.
"That was the best game I have seen our backs play this season," Freitag said. "Jed (Zayner), Julian (Dieterle) and Greg (Stevning) made it easy for us to play, and really denied Notre Dame any quality opportunities."
The Hoosiers get back on the pitch when they travel to College Park, Md., for a showdown of top-five programs. No. 5 IU will take on the third-ranked Maryland Terrapins at Ludwig Field on Saturday, October 29. Game time is slated for 8 p.m. EDT and will be televised on CN8:The Comcast Network. IU will close out the regular season when they host No. 1-ranked Akron on Thursday, November 3. The game will be played on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium with kickoff at 7 p.m.
