Indiana University Athletics
Former Hoosier Pat Noonan to Compete in MLS Cup
11/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 10, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Former Indiana standout Pat Noonan, a member of Major League Soccer's (MLS) New England Revolution, will play in MLS Cup 2006 on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 3:30 p.m. The Revs will face off with Houston Dynamo for the title.
MLS Cup will be televised live on ABC from Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
New England won the Eastern Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over D.C. United on Nov. 5. Noonan assisted on Taylor Twellman's goal in the fourth minute to give the Revs the victory.
Although Noonan has played in just 14 games this season due to injury, he has proved to be a key player in the postseason. In addition to his assist in the Eastern Conference Championship, he scored the series-tying goal for the Revs against Chicago on Oct. 28. Noonan also netted a penalty kick in the shootout with Chicago.
For the year, Noonan has one goal and three assists.
At Indiana, Noonan was a three time All-American from 2000-02. He scored 127 career points (48 goals, 31 assists), which ranks sixth on the all-time list at Indiana. Noonan is attempting to become just the fifth former Hoosier to win MLS Cup. Ned Grabavoy (2005, Los Angeles Galaxy), Dema Kovalenko (2004, D.C. United), Nick Garcia (2000, Kansas City Wizards) and Chris Klein (2000, Kansas City Wizards) have all won MLS Cup.
Currently, 11 former Hoosiers are on MLS rosters. Below is a summary of their respective seasons.
Nick Garcia - Kansas City Wizards
Garcia was named Kansas City's Defender of the Year after playing more minutes in the backline than any other Wizard. He made 29 appearances on defense, more than any other player on Kansas City's roster. The Wizards had five shutouts on the season. Garcia scored one goal, against D.C. United on June 28.
Ned Grabavoy - Columbus Crew
Grabavoy played in seven games with the Los Angeles Galaxy before being traded to the Crew in May. He scored his only goal of the season in his first game with Columbus on May 13. Battling an injury for part of the year, he played in 10 games with the Crew, starting three. The forward, in his third year in the league, also had one assist on the season.
Chris Klein - Real Salt Lake
In his first season with Real Salt Lake after spending the past eight years with Kansas City, Klein started 32 games, notching seven goals with eight assists. Klein was awarded the Kraft Global Fair Play award, which is given to the MLS player who most exemplifies fair play and sportsmanship on the field during the MLS regular season. Klein, a midfielder, has not received a caution in the past two years, a span of 63 games.
Dema Kovalenko - New York Red Bull
Kovalenko began the year with FC Metalurh Zaporizhya in his native Ukraine before being acquired by New York Red Bull in early August. An eight-year veteran of the league, Kovalenko started in 12 games. He tallied one assist in his short season.
Drew Moor - FC Dallas
Moor is a regular on the pitch for FC Dallas, starting in 26 games this season. The defender has helped lead FCD to eight shutouts, and has scored one goal with one assist. He helped lead Dallas to the Western Conference semifinals, where FCD lost to the Colorado Rapids in penalty kicks. Moor is in his second year with the league.
Jay Nolly - Real Salt Lake
Nolly played two games in goal this past season with Real Salt Lake, making seven saves. He started in one game, against New York Red Bull on Aug. 26. Nolly is in his second season with MLS.
Danny O'Rourke - New York Red Bull
O'Rourke is a key defensive midfielder for New York. He started in 27 games, helping lead Red Bull to 10 shutouts in his second year in the league. O'Rourke also had two assists on the season. New York advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where it fell to D.C. United.
Jacob Peterson - Colorado Rapids
Peterson started in 17 games for the Rapids, playing in 28. He had four goals and three assists on the season. His first career goal was the game-winning goal against Los Angeles in a 1-0 victory on May 20. The forward ended the regular season with back-to-back one-goal games against New York Red Bull on Oct. 7, and Houston on Oct. 14. Peterson also played in three games in the MLS playoffs.
Brian Plotkin - Chicago Fire
Plotkin played in 14 games in his first year with the Fire. He started in four games, and had a goal and an assist on the season. The midfielder tallied his first career goal in a 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on June 3, while his first MLS assist came in a 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Wizards on Sept. 17.
Jed Zayner - Columbus Crew
Zayner did not play in his first MLS season after sustaining a knee injury in the preseason. He was recognized by the Crew at the end of the year as the U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year.
