Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Open Strong with 3-1 Win Over Tulsa
8/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 20, 2008
Box Score
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Indiana men's soccer teams scored early and often in a 3-1 win over Tulsa in preseason exhibition play at the Gallagher College Friendlies at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in St. Louis, Mo.
Freshmen Will Bruin and Tommy Meyer got the starting nod in front of the hometown crowd. Bruin is a 2008 graduate of DeSmet, while Meyer hails from Saint Louis University High. Bruin took the field up top, while Meyer played center back alongside veteran Ofori Sarkodie.
"I was very pleased with what I saw tonight," said head coach Mike Freitag. "Everyone, from the first guy on the field to the last, contributed to the win in some way.
"Tulsa was a tough opponent, and it was nice to get out there and face someone other than ourselves."
The Golden Hurricane had the better of the possession to start, controlling the ball deep in the Hoosiers' third of the field, but it was Bruin who put up the first real threat of the match with a breakaway shot that UT `keeper Tyrel Lacey was able to come out and block with his body.
It was Bruin who got the IU scoring play started in the eighth minute, back-heeling the ball to a streaking Alston. Alston took on the UT defender but had his shot blocked by Lacey, giving Andy Adlard the opportunity to put home the rebound shot for his first goal of the preseason.
It was 2-0 Hoosiers in the 23rd minute with a goal from John Mellencamp, taking a one-touch shot on a ball from Daniel Kelly. Just two minutes later Mellencamp lobbed a ball over the head of Tulsa's Lacey and Michael Roach, who had entered the game just seconds earlier, put his head on the ball to roll it into the open net for the third score of the night.
"That was a great way to start the season," Mellencamp said. "We had a lot of fun out there tonight."
"It was nice to see this team put some goals in the net," Freitag said.
Ashley McInnes took an on-target shot for the Golden Hurricanes in the 28th minute but Chay Cain was there to collect the hard liner for the save. Jose Parada put Tulsa on the board right before the half, putting himself in perfect position right in front of the goal to collect a rebound and tap it home.
Freshman and SLUH grad Luis Soffner took over for Cain in goal in the second half and finished with one save. Freitag used the second half as an opportunity to experiment with different lineups, with little offensive or defensive letdown in the transition.
IU had an opportunity in the 56th minute with service from Kelly to Mellencamp on the left side of the goal. Mellencamp played the ball in to a charging Darren Yeagle, but Yeagle just missed getting his head on the ball.
Neil Wilmarth came on late in the second half and had a one-on-one breakaway opportunity that was stuffed by Lacey in the Tulsa net.
The Hoosiers wrap up their preseason slate on Friday night as they travel to Ft. Wayne, Ind. to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels at the National Soccer Festival. Match time is 7:30 p.m. Regular-season play opens on Friday, Aug. 29 against Duke at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic.
