Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Faces Kentucky On Wednesday
9/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Kentucky Game Notes in PDF Format
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Sept. 26, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana Hoosiers continue their two game homestand on Wednesday, Sept. 27 against Kentucky.
Hoosier News and Notes
• Indiana tied Michigan 2-2 in its Big Ten opener on Sept. 24. The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead before Kevin Robson scored on a penalty kick, and later a shot from 25 yards out, to tie the game.
• Robson was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against No. 21 Akron and Michigan.
• Indiana is currently ranked 14th in the latest Soccer America poll. The team is fourth in the regional National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.
Scouting Kentucky
• Kentucky (7-1-1) is coming off a 2-0 win against Alabama A&M on Sept. 20. The Wildcats were scheduled to play Akron on Sept. 23, but the game was postponed due to heavy rains in the area. The team has been ranked as high as 14th in the NSCAA poll this season.
• The Indiana game begins a tough portion of Kentucky's schedule. The next two games for the Wildcats are contests with ranked teams South Carolina and Southern Methodist.
• The lone loss for Kentucky came at the hands of Michigan, 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 13
• Riley O'Neill leads a volitale Wildcat offense that is ranked third in the country in scoring offense. He has 11 goals and three assists on the year, and is ranked third in the nation in points per game. Michael Strong and Jase Griffiths each have nine points on the year.
• Kentucky has shut out six opponents this season behind the play of defensive starters Andrew Alexander, Nathan Marks and Barry Rice. Goalkeeper Dan Williams has a 0.49 goals allowed average, ranking ninth in the country in the category. He has allowed just four goals this season.
• All-time, Indiana holds an 18-1-1 record in the series. The only tie came in the last meeting between the two teams, a 0-0 contest in 2004. The last two games in the series have gone into overtime.
Coach's Corner
Head coach Mike Freitag talks about the start of Big Ten play with Michigan, and previews Kentucky.
Kentucky is off to a great start to its season. I've seen them play in person, and they have a lot of fight to them. Riley O'Neill is a skillful player. He played with the Under-20 National Team, and is good in the air but also competent on the ground. He can beat you several different ways.
I liked the way that our team played the last two-thirds of the Michigan game. We're going to continue to emphasize that type of play from start to finish. I am proud of the way the guys were able to come back from a difficult start to tie the game in the second half. They got into tussles and prevented Michigan's offense from creating chances in the second half. It's important that we keep that up through the rest of the season.
Outshooting Opponents
• The Hoosiers are averaging 15.2 shots per game, while their opponents are averaging just 8.8 shots per game.
• On three occasions this year, Indiana has held its opponents to six shots or less. The team outshot No. 8 Creighton 22-6, UAB 19-5 and No. 2 Connecticut 17-3.
• No. 2 Connecticut was held without a shot until the 74th minute of the game.
The Corner Café
• Indiana holds a 62-29 advantage in corner kicks against opponents this season.
• The Hoosiers have totaled two goals this year directly off corner kicks.
Running Roby
• Senior Kevin Robson has three goals on the year and is tied for the team lead with nine points. He scored two goals against Michigan on Sept. 24.
• He earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against No. 21 Akron and Michigan.
Youth Reigns
• Freshman Darren Yeagle is tied for the team lead with nine points (4 goals, 1 assist). His last goal came against No. 21 Akron on Sept. 20.
• Sophomore Brian Ackley has three goals on the year, while sophomore Brad Ring has scored twice.
Can I Help You?
• Seniors John Michael Hayden and Kevin Robson each have three assists on the season.
• Hayden had assists against No. 8 Creighton, UAB and No. 15 Notre Dame.
• Robson had two assists against Tulsa, as well as an assist against No. 2 Connecticut.
Recapping the Michigan Game
• Kevin Robson scored a pair of goals as Indiana rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against Michigan on Sept. 24.
• Down 2-0 just 19 minutes into the game, the Hoosiers gradually seized momentum. Robson got Indiana on the board in the 34th minute, converting a penalty kick after a Michigan player took down Darren Yeagle in the box.
• Controlling play for much of the second half and outshooting Michigan 7-0 in the half, Indiana struggled to find the equalizer. The Hoosiers broke through with Robson scorching a shot from 25 yards out into the upper right corner in the 68th minute.
• Indiana held an 18-14 advantage in shots for the day. The Hoosiers also had eight corner kicks to just five for Michigan.
Freshman Phenoms
• Darren Yeagle has started in all nine games for Indiana. Yeagle scored his first career goal against No. 2 Connecticut on Sept. 1. He currently leads the team with nine points (4 goals, 1 assist).
• Kevin Alston started in seven of Indiana's first nine games, while Eric Alexander has started the last two. Ofori Sarkodie earned his first career start against Tulsa on Sept. 9.
• Freshman Lee Hagedorn has also seen playing time.
Hoosiers Take On Ranked Teams
• The Hoosiers regularly play one of the toughest schedules in the nation. In its first nine games this season, Indiana has played five teams as ranked by the NSCAA, plus a ranked opponent in the preseason.
• Indiana has taken on No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. The Hoosiers defeated No. 1 Maryland 1-0 in exhibition action, tied No. 2 Connecticut 1-1, and fell to No. 3 Southern Methodist 1-0.
• Illinois-Chicago was not ranked in the preseason, but the team has moved into the top-25 with its play to start the year. Indiana defeated UIC 1-0 in exhibition play.
• Saint Louis, although not ranked the week they played the Hoosiers, was ranked 20th the next week. In addition, Kentucky has been ranked as high as No. 14 this year.
• UAB has also moved into the top 25. Indiana defeated UAB 2-1 in its second game of the season.
• The other three ranked teams that Indiana played were No. 8 Creighton, No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 21 Akron.
Hoosiers Lead Nation in Attendance
• The Hoosiers are one of college soccer's most watched teams year in and year out. This season, Indiana is averaging 4,365 fans per contest after three home games.
• Last year, Indiana finished second in the nation in average attendance, pulling in 3,112 fans per game.
• During the 2003 campaign, IU led the nation in total attendance with a total of 28,778 attending Armstrong Stadium for 13 home affairs. Indiana averaged 2,214 for home matches, which ranked third nationally. In 2004, the Hoosiers averaged 2,385, leading the nation.
• The Hoosiers have a history of drawing large crowds. Indiana ranked among the top three in average attendance in 2001 and 2002. Also in 2001, the Hoosiers ranked third in total attendance with 25,630 visiting Armstrong Stadium. In 2001, the Hoosiers averaged 2,330 over their 11 games. The following season, the Hoosiers averaged 2,195, which was second nationally.
