Indiana University Athletics
Top-Ranked Hoosiers Open Big Ten Against Michigan State
9/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 20, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.
- The two-time defending national champion and No. 1 Indiana men's soccer team will begin Big Ten Conference action against Michigan State on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Hoosiers battle the Spartans on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium with game time slated for 1 p.m. Indiana is 13-0-1 in Big Ten openers, including a 3-1 victory in East Lansing, Mich., last season.
The Spartan-Hoosier battle will also mark Dollar Dog Day. Chartwells Concessions stands will sell hotdogs for only $1, while supplies last.
Hoosier News and Notes
- Indiana is currently riding an 11-match unbeaten streak dating back to last season. The Hoosiers finished the 2004 season, winning five straight matches to claim the national championship. In 2005, IU is 4-0-2 in its opening six matches. IU had a 23-match unbeaten streak that stretched from the final 18 matches of the 2003 season and the first five of the 2004 season.
- Indiana is ranked No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
- The Hoosiers are 31-1-1 all-time against Michigan State, including a 16-0-1 mark at Armstrong Stadium.
- Junior forward Jacob Peterson currently ranks among the Hoosier top 25 in two career categories. He is tied for 23rd on the career goals list with 23 during his three-year career. Peterson needs two goals to move into a tie for 21st. He also is 22nd with 147 career shots. The Portage, Mich., native needs 15 more attempts to move into 21st.
- Senior midfielder Brian Plotkin ranks among the IU all-time top 25 in two categories as well. He is tied for 14th in assists with 28 career helpers. With his next assist, he will move into a tie for 13th place with Herb Haller. Plotkin ranks 13th on IU's career shots list with 219, trailing 11th place by five attempts.
- Brian Plotkin is tied for 18th nationally in assists per game. The Lisle, Ill., native has four on the year and is averaging 0.67 per contest.
- Senior Mike Ambersley ranks among IU's top 25 in career shots. He is 25th with 130 career attempts and trails 24th place Chad Deering by seven shots.
- Peterson recorded his second career hat trick and 48th in the Hoosier annals. Against Boston University on Sept. 11, he notched the first three goals of the match in a 5-0 victory. Peterson became the 10th Hoosier in school history to record multiple hat tricks in a career.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe ranks 15th nationally in goals against average (GAA). He had a career-best seven saves in a victory over Cal State-Northridge.
- As a team, Indiana is tied for ninth nationally in goals per game with three per contest. IU is tied for seventh in shutout percentage, having blanked four of six opponents. Indiana is 10th in goals against average (0.47).
Scouting Michigan State
Michigan State enters Big Ten Conference action with a 2-1-3 mark, following a pair of ties at the Yale Tournament. The Spartans tied Yale, 1-1, on Sept. 16, and found the same results against Dartmouth on Sept. 18, 2-2. MSU has victories over UMass and Long Island by scores of 2-1.
Senior midfielder Ryan McMahen leads the Spartans with nine points on three goals and three assists. Against Dartmouth, McMahen scored both Michigan State goals, including the equalizer with just 33 second remaining on a free kick. Redshirt freshman Doug DeMartin ranks second on the team with two goals on the season.
Junior goalkeeper Jason Tillman has started all six matches between the pipes for the Spartans. He has made 16 saves with a goals against average of 1.05.
The last time the Hoosiers and Spartans met was during the 2004 Big Ten Tournament. Michigan State knocked off IU, 2-1, on a goal in the 70th minute from McMahen. He also scored on a free kick in the first half to give the Spartans to a 1-0 advantage. Tillman made five saves in net to help Michigan State to the Big Ten final. MSU went on to capture the tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Big Ten Rankings
A number of Hoosiers rank among the top 10 in the Big Ten Conference in different categories. In fact, IU leads the Big Ten in every major team category through the first two weeks of the regular season. Here is a look at how the Hoosiers fare in the conference rankings:
All Games Rankings
Indiana
1st in Goal (18)
1st in Points (51)
1st in Assists (15)
T-1st in Goals Allowed (3)
T-1st in Shutouts (4)
2nd in Shots (104)
Mike Ambersley
T-3rd in Assists (3)
John Michael Hayden
T-8th in Goals (2)
Chris Munroe
2nd in GAA (0.49)
T-2nd in Shutouts (3)
7th in Saves (15)
Lee Nguyen
4th in Shots (19)
T-4th in Assists (2)
T-8th in Points (6)
T-8th in Goals (2)
Kevin Noschang
T-4th in Assists (2)
Jacob Peterson
1st in Goals (5)
T-2nd in Points (10)
T-6th in Shots (16)
Brian Plotkin
1st in Points (12)
T-1st in Assists (4)
T-1st in Game-Winning Goals (2)
T-2nd in Goals (4)
T-7th in Shots (15)
Josh Tudela
T-4th in Assists (2)
T-8th in Points (6)
T-8th in Goals (2)
Nguyen Earns Honors
Freshman Lee Nguyen had a breakout weekend in leading IU to the Oregon State Diadora Classic title. As a result, he was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. It marked the second time this season a Hoosier had been named Offensive Player of the Week after senior midfielder Brian Plotkin earned the honor.
In the opening game of the Diadora Classic, Nguyen registered his first career point in the 53rd minute, assisting on the eventual game-winner to help the Hoosiers knock off then-No. 16 (Soccer America) Cal State-Northridge, 5-0. The Richardson, Texas, native sent a short corner to the near post where junior midfielder Josh Tudela was there to head it home. Nguyen followed that by scoring his first career goal in the 64th minute. He played give-and-go with Plotkin before bending a shot into the right corner. The U.S. Under-20 National Team player also drew a penalty kick in the 68th minute that Plotkin nailed home.
After falling behind, 2-0, to host Oregon State, Nguyen propelled the Hoosiers to a second-half comeback. Four minutes after the Beavers took the two-goal advantage, the reigning Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year set up junior forward Jacob Peterson for a goal to cut the deficit to one. With seven minutes remaining, Nguyen beat two defenders before floating a shot over the OSU goalkeeper to even the match at two.
Nguyen also earned College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week honors following his performance at the Diadora Classic. He became the third Hoosier in as many weeks to be named to the pair publication's National Teams of the Week. Plotkin (Sept. 5) and Peterson (Sept. 12) were selected the previous two weeks.
Offensive Fire Power
The Hoosiers notched 5-0 victories over Boston University and Cal State-Northridge in back-to-back matches on Sept. 11 and 16. It marked the first time since 1999 that Indiana had back-to-back five-goal performances. During the 1999 season, which was capped by the second of back-to-back national titles, IU defeated Butler, 5-0, on Oct. 7 and Evansville, 6-0, on Oct. 10.
Indiana leads the Big Ten in nearly every offensive category, including goals, assists and points. In fact, the Hoosiers are averaging 3 goals per contest and 8.5 points per game. Nationally, Indiana is tied for ninth in goals per game.
4,000-plus Back-to-Back Home Attendance
The Hoosiers racked up two straight home games with back-to-back attendance of over 4,000 during the 2005 adidas/IU Credit Union Classic on Sept. 2 and 4. It marked the third time in school history that the Hoosiers had back-to-back home matches of over 4,000 and it was the fourth highest two-match total in the school annals. It is also the third-largest two-day total crowd in adidas/IU Credit Union Classic history. Here are the top two-match attended totals in school history:
Back-to-Back Game Total Attendance
1. 1987 - 10500 - Sept. 4 vs. South Carolina (4500) and Sept. 5 vs. SMU (6000)
2. 1988 - 8465 - Dec. 3 vs. Portland (3297) and Dec. 4 vs. Howard (5168) *
3. 1995 - 8444 - Sept. 2 vs. N.C. State (4307) and Sept. 3 vs. Boston University (4137)
4. 2005 - 8428 - Sept. 2 vs. Wake Forest (4272) and Sept. 4 vs. SMU (4156)
* - was the 1988 NCAA College Cup held in Bloomington
Freshmen Firsts
A quartet of Hoosier freshmen have registered their first collegiate points. True freshmen Lee Nguyen and Brad Ring along with redshirt freshmen Billy Weaver and Kevin Noschang have found the scoring column for the first time in their Hoosier careers.
Nguyen notched his first collegiate point, registering an assist on the eventual game-winner against Cal State-Northridge on Sept. 16. He also scored his first goal in the match. Ring followed suit by scoring his first goal on a bullet from 35 yards in the 68th minute against the Matadors.
Noschang and Weaver notched their first collegiate points at the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament. Noschang assisted on the equalizer in the early stages of the second half against Saint Louis on Sept. 9. Weaver scored his first career goal, putting in his own rebound in the second half against Boston University on Sept. 11.
