SOUTH BEND -- The word heartbreaking best characterizes the men's soccer team's match at Notre Dame last night. The No. 18 Hoosiers (2-3-2) were outlasted by the Fighting Irish, 1-0 in double-overtime at Alumni Field.\nNotre Dame (3-1-2) tallied the game-winning goal off a free kick with 2:58 left in the second overtime. Irish junior Kevin Goldthwaite was credited with the game-winning score as he deflected the free kick from just outside the 18-yard box past goalkeeper Jay Nolly.\nIU Coach Jerry Yeagley said he was disappointed with his team's lack of firepower on offense. \n"This game should have been over way before overtime," Yeagley said. "We struggled finishing tonight and that has been the case in our last few games."\nBoth teams struggled to get scoring chances in the first half, and it appeared as if both teams were feeling each other out at the outset of the match. \nThe Hoosiers controlled the ball possession the majority of the first 45 minutes. As a result, IU out-shot the No. 16 Irish 4-1 at the half. But the Hoosiers could not break through on the scoreboard.\nJunior midfielder Danny O'Rourke echoed his coach's sentiments.\n"We came out firing hard," O'Rourke said. "We stuck to our game plan. We played strong at the start. But like coach said, we need to finish."\nNotre Dame is the site of Yeagley's first career coaching victory. He defeated the Irish 5-1 to earn his first career win on September 14, 1973. This match, however, would take on a different tone.\nJunior forward Ned Grabavoy described the difficult stretch of the season the squad has experienced thus far this year. \n"I would like a rematch with every team we played so far this season," Grabavoy said. "Nothing's going our way right now. But we return home on Sunday and hopefully we can gain some confidence from that match."\nGrabavoy said this contest was particularly frustrating because of the way IU lost and the nature of the match. \n"We did everything right in this match," Grabavoy said. "We just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. You can't complain though, because that's soccer. That's the way it goes sometimes." \nYeagley said a line has to be drawn with his team's inefficiencies offensively. \n"We're just not capitalizing," Yeagley said. "For whatever reason we can't seem to score when we get close to the goal. I'm proud of the way we played tonight, though. But we need somebody to step up when we get the ball deep into our offensive end." \nThe Hoosiers had their share of opportunities in the first. \nSophomore forward Trey Meek belted a powerful shot in the 32nd minute that was grabbed by Notre Dame's goalkeeper, junior Chris Sawyer.\nGrabavoy blasted a shot in the eighth minute of the second that was just wide right.\nBut Notre Dame applied the pressure in the waning minutes of regulation. A high cross by an Irish player was bobbled, but corralled by IU junior goalkeeper Jay Nolly, Regulation ended with a scoreless tie.\nGrabavoy knocked a shot that went high over the goal a little more than a minute into the first overtime. But both teams had few scoring chances in the two overtimes.\nThe Hoosiers next host Michigan State on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium. Yeagley said he has to prepare his team for that affair, but it will be a challenge after the one-goal loss to Notre Dame. \n"It's conference time and we've dug ourselves a hole," Yeagley said. "We'll see what kind of character this team has. It should be interesting to see. We've got to get wins."\nThe Hoosiers have a 36-game winning streak in Big Ten matches. The last time they lost in conference play was on October 13, 1995 when the dropped a match to Wisconsin.\nIU's all-time mark in Big Ten action stands at 57-4-2.
Ex-Hoosier Honored\nFormer IU standout and current New England Revolution player Pat Noonan was named the Major League Soccer's Player of the Week last week after his first multiple-goal performance in the MLS. Noonan netted two goals in the Revs' 2-1 victory over the New Jersey MetroStars at Giants Stadium. He was a three-time All-American as a Hoosier.\nYeagley described how he felt about the recent announcement on Noonan.\n"I wish we had him tonight," Yeagley said. "But no, I'm proud of him. He was a terrific player here. I've seen him play most of his matches this year, and he could have more goals. He's hit the post a few times and his teammates haven't always gotten him the ball when he's been in a good position to score."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Zack Eldridge at zeldridg@indiana.edu.
