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POSTED AT 11:53 PM ON Sep. 25, 2012  (UPDATED AT 12:01 AM ON Sep. 26, 2012)

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The Hoosiers face one of their biggest rivals, Notre Dame, at 7 p.m. today. It will be Indiana’s first midweek match of the regular season.

“Our preparation doesn’t change that much,” junior defender Matt McKain said. “We usually get a good crowd, even on Wednesdays, especially against Notre Dame. If we get a win, it’ll be good for our RPI.”

Junior midfielder Nikita Kotlov will be a game time decision, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. The Indianapolis native is battling a bad cold.

In the two matches in which Kotlov did not start, freshman midfielder Femi Hollinger-Janzen took his spot.

“(My three starts) have gotten me ready for the game,” he said. “Coming strong right off the bat has really gotten me going from the beginning.”

Yeagley talked about the importance of acclimating freshmen into the game plan early in the season.

“We said before the year started if we get some of these young players comfortable, it’s going to really give us some attacking options,” Yeagley said. “You need to be able to operate with a key guy out to be able to get where we want to go. It’s a good sign we got the win without Nikita.”

Yeagley said Hollinger-Janzen’s three starts have helped him get through some early-game starting jitters every freshman is going to experience.

“I’ve been in those shoes,” Yeagley said. “It’s intimidating.”

Freshman forward Andrew Oliver’s goal in the 31st minute against Ohio State Sunday snapped IU’s 255-minute first-half scoring drought.

McKain said that when the Hoosiers take a first-half lead, tactical changes are not guaranteed.

“Usually when we have the lead in the first half — it doesn’t happen very often — we don’t really change our game that much,” McKain said. “We still attack and look for the second or third goal to top it off. We don’t try to sit in after one goal. We try to take it to ’em.”

The Irish dropped four spots to No. 8 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll due to a 2-1 loss Saturday at Louisville.

The  loss was Notre Dame’s first of the year.

Last season, IU and Notre Dame played to a scoreless draw in South Bend in the first regular season match for both squads.

“I was pleased based on performance last year that we got zeroes on the road,” Yeagley said. “We want to win here ...  Anything less than a win, obviously, we won’t be satisfied.”