Goalkeeper records 2nd shutout

Chay Cain kisses each of his goalposts before the start of every game. \n"It's a little superstition I've had since I was probably about 11 when I started playing between the posts," the IU men's soccer team's sophomore goalkeeper said. "It's just for good luck. I mean, I'm Irish. I believe in luck. It helps me out back there."\nCain also talks to his posts -- another ritual before the clock starts ticking. What he tells them, though, is between Cain and the tall metal bars. \n"That's private," he said with a smile. "I can't tell you that."\nWhatever he does in front of the net seems to be working. With the Hoosiers' 1-0 defeat of the Northwestern Wildcats Saturday, Cain recorded his second shutout in as many games. With Cain in goal, the Hoosiers have tallied four shutouts, all in the past six games. \n"His play's been phenomenal," sophomore midfielder John Mellencamp said of Cain. "He's come up big a couple games, making big stops for us, keeping balls out of the net."\nCain made six saves against the Louisville Cardinals Wednesday and stopped four Wildcat shots Saturday night. \nStatistics can't explain Cain's biggest play of the night. \nWith IU up by a goal late in the game, the Wildcats mounted an aggressive attack to try to tie the game. \nOne Wildcat midfielder made a charge down the right side of the field with less than three minutes remaining, no defender in sight, only he and Cain. Instead of taking a shot, the Northwestern player attempted to cross the ball to Wildcat David Roth, who was barreling down the middle of the field in good position to score.\nCain reached his arms out and dove to the right, stopping the pass before it could do any damage.\n"We did turn it up a notch to try to get the equalizer," Northwestern coach Tom Lenahan said. "I thought we had them on the ropes a little bit the last 20 minutes."\nWith his back against the ropes, Cain made sure IU never got punched in the nose.\n"When it comes down to the last six minutes of the game and you're up, all you're really focused on is getting the ball," he said. "Each time, nothing else runs through your head. You just focus on the ball, try to make the save and keep your team in the game."\nLast season Cain rarely had the chance to make such saves. As a freshman, Cain never started a game, playing backup to then-sophomore Chris Munroe. Before this season started, Cain knew he could compete for the starting gig. \nHe and Munroe alternated starts at the beginning of the season -- each playing two of IU's first four games. After the Hoosiers' first loss of the season, a 5-4 overtime loss to Notre Dame with Munroe in goal, Cain has kissed the goalposts every single game.\nCain and IU coach Mike Freitag said the defense deserves as much credit as the goalkeeper for IU's most recent shutouts. \n"We haven't really given up a lot of quality chances," Freitag said. "We've given up some chances but not quality chances."\nThanks to Cain and the IU defense, the Hoosiers are unbeaten in their last six games and are rolling with a four-game win streak. \nSaturday's win, just like the rest, was sealed with a kiss.