Classic composers

The Hoosiers picked up right where they left off this weekend by capturing two victories in dramatic fashion while getting new coach Mike Freitag off to a perfect start at the reigns of the defending champions.\nOn Friday, IU received quite a scare from Boston University, who put themselves ahead 2-1 with two quick goals at the start of the second half. Junior midfielder Brian Plotkin countered to send the game into overtime with a goal inside of two minutes remaining. Sophomore forward Jacob Peterson then cemented the victory with a goal in the fourth minute of overtime to win the game 3-2.\nSunday's game looked eerily familiar when Oregon State netted a goal off a corner kick just four minutes into the second half, but IU wouldn't fall victim to another let down and answered with a goal from sophomore back Julian Dieterle just 37 seconds later.\nNeeding to win by two goals in order to win the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, Peterson again played hero with a break away score in the 85th minute of play to ice the game, 3-1. Peterson was named the classic's Offensive Most Valuable Player. Because Notre Dame also finished the classic 2-0, goal differential was the deciding factor concerning who was crowned champion. IU outscored the Irish 6-4.\n"We didn't play our best," said senior back and co-captain Danny O'Rourke, who netted the first goal against Oregon State. "But to get two victories really shows the character of this team."\nFor 88 minutes of IU's opening game against BU all signs pointed to a disappointing start to the season. IU came out hot controlling the ball for the first 30 minutes of play highlighted by a goal from junior forward Mike Ambersley off a pass from sophomore forward Kevin Robson on a quick corner.\nFrom there the Hoosiers started getting "lulled to sleep," Freitag said. But IU had a wake-up call when Boston junior Jamie Johnson and senior Erik Evjen each scored within two minutes of each other and quickly put the defending champs in a hole.\n"You let your guard down and you get punched in the nose," Freitag said. "And we got punched with two quick ones. Maybe this was just the wake up call we needed to remind them of what they have to do."\nFrom there, IU turned to the aggressor attacking BU goalkeeper Chad Comroe, forcing him to make a tournament record 14 saves (10 in the second half). The barrage also led to eight corner kicks for the Hoosiers in the second half, with the final one coming with less than two minutes left on the clock.\nSophomore midfielder John Michael Hayden played a ball into the box filled with 19 of the 22 men on the field. The ball squeaked out of the scrum of players directly to the right foot of Plotkin, who was wearing No. 31 instead of No. 10 after being forced to leave the game and change jerseys after being kicked in the head in the first half.\n"To be honest, that play has happened to me a bunch so instinct just took over," he said. "I just wanted to put the ball on frame and look what it did."\nIt only took four minutes of overtime before Robson once again found himself setting the table for Peterson who was streaking behind him. A perfect back-pass left Peterson alone with a wide open net to finish the game.\n"If I would have missed that one I might have had to hang up my boots," Peterson said.\nPeterson led the offensive attack again in Sunday's game with seven shots, but it was the defense that picked up the slack early. IU's first two goals came from backs O'Rourke and Dieterle. It was O'Rourke's first ever collegiate goal.\n"(Scoring) felt like getting a big elephant off my back," he said. "My role on this team isn't to score goals, but it definitely felt good getting that first one."\nPeterson locked his MVP honors for the tournament when he netted his second goal of the season with five minutes left to play.\nOffense was a question heading into the season for Freitag, and even though the team scored six goals, it took 27 shots on goal.\n"I still think we can play better if you look at the number of chances we had and didn't put them away," he said. "When we get clicking on all cylinders, I think some real good things will happen."\nThe Hoosiers now head to South Bend to take on Cal State Fullerton and Evansville in the Notre Dame Classic next weekend.\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.