Pair of weekend wins helps Hoosiers

In perhaps its biggest weekend of soccer this season, the IU men's soccer team came up big with a pair of victories over Wisconsin and Northwestern. The two victories extended IU's Big Ten conference game winning streak to 35 and put them in position to once again claim the bye for the first round of the Big Ten soccer tournament.\nThe No. 4 ranked Hoosiers routed Wisconsin (7-5, 1-2 Big Ten) 5-1 Friday night to extend IU's winning streak over the Badgers to eight. IU (10-1-2, 5-0) downed Northwestern (5-7, 0-3) 1-0 Sunday as IU is now 19-0 all-time against the Wildcats.\nIU's offensive onslaught of the Badgers began early Friday night as Hoosier senior back John Swann picked up his second goal of the season just 2:13 into the match. From about 25 yards out on the right side of the field, junior back David Prall centered the ball into the IU's offensive box. Sophomore forward Mike Ambersley headed the ball to the back post where he found Swann who headed it over Wisconsin sophomore keeper Eric Hanson and down into the goal off the crossbar.\nThe Badgers knotted the game at 1-1 when senior forward Valentine Anozie beat IU sophomore keeper Jay Nolly on a penalty kick, 12:19 into the match. Wisconsin was awarded the penalty kick after a Hoosier defender was called for a hand ball in the box.\n IU regained the lead just under five minutes later as Prall picked up his first goal of the year. Ambersley received the ball at the top of the box off a corner kick and dribbled through the box. He eventually found Prall who chipped the ball over Hanson and into the back of the net.\nThe assists were Ambersley's first points of the season after he had an 18-point season last year as a freshman. He was plagued early in the year by a back injury and has struggled getting involved in the offense, but Ambersley said it was nice to be back in the Hoosier scoring attack.\n"It was great to be involved in a couple of goals," Ambersley said. "The main goal is to win, but it is also nice to be able to contribute a little more. I was happy with my performance."\nSophomore midfielder Ned Grabavoy kept the IU momentum going as he found the back of the net just 36 seconds after Prall. Senior Pat Noonan found Grabavoy making a run toward the goal and fed him the ball; Grabavoy drilled the shot into the low left corner past Hanson. Grabavoy picked up his second goal of the game and fifth of the season at the 35:11 mark of the second half when senior forward Michael Bock and Grabavoy combined on a 2-on-1 to give the Hoosiers a 4-1 lead.\nNoonan finished off the scoring for the Hoosiers 15:15 into the second half when senior Ryan Mack found Noonan on a cross. The goal was Noonan's team leading seventh of the season.\nHoosier coach Jerry Yeagley said the performance against the Badgers was what IU should bring every game.\n"This was the most energy we have had, certainly at home," Yeagley said. "We did not come out and wait for things to happen. We were co-active, and we had them under pressure. And we were causing things to happen."\nAfter precisely picking apart the Badger defense Friday, the Hoosiers were sluggish in the 1-0 victory over Northwestern. In Sunday's match-up with the Wildcats, IU was without Swann who picked up his fifth red card of the season against Wisconsin and had to sit out the game. Sophomore defensive midfielder Danny O'Rourke also missed the match after colliding with senior back Phil Presser in warm-ups. O'Rourke was taken to the hospital where x-rays showed he fractured a bone in his face.\nThe lone Hoosier goal was scored by sophomore midfielder Josh Reiher. Grabavoy and Noonan were credited with assists as Reiher collected the ball inside the box and shot it into the top right corner just 12:39 into the match. The Hoosiers held on from there as Nolly picked up his seventh shutout of the season.\nReiher was pleased with being able to contribute to the Hoosier attack.\n"I have had a lot of opportunities," Reiher said. "It was nice to have that goal come after being injured in the middle of last year and coming back and scoring like that and helping my team in a tough game."\nThe Hoosiers return to the field Wednesday, Oct. 16 when they travel to Lexington, Ky. for a 7 p.m. kickoff.