Oct. 14, 2007

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. - Daniel Kelly's goal in the 26th minute proved to be the only tally of the match as 13th-ranked Indiana handed the No. 6 Northwestern men's soccer team its first home loss of the season as the Hoosiers escaped Lakeside Field with a 1-0 win Sunday afternoon.

The contest featured the top two teams in the Big Ten standings, as Indiana improved to 3-0 in conference play (8-4-1 overall) while the Wildcats fell to 2-2 (9-2-1 overall).

Rain throughout the morning made the playing surface slick, limiting the scoring opportunities in the match. The Hoosiers got on the scoreboard at 25:46 as Billy Weaver played a cross into the box. The ball went off a Northwestern defender and straight to Kelly who was able to fire home a shot from 15 years out.

The Wildcats were able to create some quality chances, but IU goalkeeper Chay Cain came up huge on numerous occasions. With just over two minutes remaining in the first half, Mark Blades made a diving header in the box, but the Hoosiers were able to wipe the ball off the goalline to prevent the tying score.

Indiana finished with a 9-5 advantage in shots in the opening half.

Perhaps Northwestern's best scoring chance came with just under 22 minutes left in the game as Geoff Fallon found himself alone at the top of the 18-yard box and fired a blast at the net, but Cain made the diving save. The ensuing rebound came back to Fallon, who put another shot on goal but Cain made another crucial stop to maintain Indiana's lead.

NU's final solid chance came with two minutes left when the Hoosiers were called for a hand ball just outside of the box. David Roth took the free kick, but his shot sailed high as Indiana was able to hold on for the victory to take control in the Big Ten race.

Northwestern, which played without the services of two of its top starters due to injury, was out-shot by the Hoosiers by a narrow 14-12 margin for the match. Cain finished with four saves to earn the shutout, while Will Briley made three saves and Misha Rosenthal had two for the Wildcats.

Northwestern will return to action at 6 p.m. Central time Saturday when it travels to Michigan.