No. 2 Hoosiers knock off Wisconsin

Wisconsin, a team that has knocked off top-25 teams this season, worried Coach Jerry Yeagley. He stressed to his men's soccer team that it needed to capitalize off of corner kicks and free kicks in a game that could determine this year's Big Ten champion.\nThe No. 2 Hoosiers did as they were told and thoroughly dominated the Badgers from the get-go. IU outshot Wisconsin 15-2 and won 3-1 Friday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\n"We had some good exciting attacks, and I thought our possession was very good," Yeagley said. "We moved the ball, held the ball (and had) good movement with and without the ball."\nAll four goals came off restarts, as junior midfielder Ryan Mack scored a goal off a direct free kick and dished out two assists to lead IU (11-3, 5-0) to its seventh consecutive win.\nAfter the Hoosiers took a 1-0 lead on a goal by senior forward Matt Fundenberger in the first half, Wisconsin (7-6-1, 1-2) tied the score off a free kick by forward Narciso Fernandes. The senior Badger's shot curved over a wall of IU defenders, before settling past junior goalkeeper Colin Rogers' outstretched fingers.\nWith the score 1-1 and 24 minutes left in the game, IU remained calm and slowly pulled away.\nFive minutes later, sophomore midfielder Pat Noonan was fouled just outside the penalty box, setting up a direct free kick. Mack arched a shot over the Wisconsin defenders and out of the goalkeeper's reach for his fifth goal of the season.\n"Mack's tough," Yeagley said. "These guys are tough. Mack's got a calf problem and with what he did today … At this point of the season, injuries are part of it. A lot of it's mental and a lot of these guys can play with pain and play through it. That's a sign of a mature, tough team, mentally tough team."\nMack began the scoring about 30 minutes into the first half. He saw Fundenberger wave to him as he set up an indirect free kick. While Wisconsin defenders scrambled to get into place, Fundenberger was left alone near the far post, and Mack launched the ball to him. Fundenberger headed the ball to the goalkeeper's right for the third time IU has scored in a first half this season.\n"I just floated it to his head, just tried to place it to his head and his magical skills put it away," Mack said. "I think our passing was really good, and they played pretty open, which enabled us to pass around them. I think our set plays are coming along pretty good, and I think that's what mainly won this game for us."\nSenior defensive midfielder Justin Tauber made the score 3-1 with his first career goal off a corner kick by Mack with 10 minutes left in the game.\nAside from controlling the restarts, IU dominated on defense, though sophomore marking back John Swann played with a high ankle sprain. Junior sweeper Josh Rife cleared any rare ball that traveled past the Hoosiers' marking backs and defensive midfielders, and Rogers didn't have to make a save during the game.\nAn IU team unlike those from past years dominated Wisconsin Friday night in front of 1,508 fans, Wisconsin coach Kalekeni M. Banda said. \n"They play very well with numbers around the ball," Banda said. "They put a lot of pressure on you. If you don't move the ball quick enough, you're dead. I think this year they might be better overall than when they were the superstars. They build on it a lot more than looking at one guy to get it done"