Defending champs ready for stretch run on road

Although their play goes unnoticed from a statistical standpoint, the IU men's soccer team defensive players' contributions can be attributed to the final score and the clean sheets kept by senior goalkeeper Jay Nolly.\nThe No. 8-ranked Hoosiers (12-3-1 overall, 5-1-0 Big Ten) look to continue the solid play by those in the back for the team's contest at 1 p.m. Sunday at Saint Louis University.\nThe IU defense, anchored by junior Drew Moor, a Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy candidate, has started every game this season in the back row and has not allowed a goal in the Hoosiers' last four matches. With the help of the defense, Nolly has saved the ball 39 times on 49 shots.\n"(Nolly) comes up with the big saves when he needs to, and (sophomore Jed Zayner) is a real solid center back; he does extremely well," Moor said. "Right now, the defense is playing well. Jay's made a big save in every single game so far. We're doing well back there right now."\nNolly, who has played every minute in goal (4,759 minutes and 55 seconds) for the Hoosiers since October 2002, has seven shutouts on the season and gave up only one goal in eight different games. Of those eight games, IU won five, with the three losses coming at the hands of the University of California Santa Barbara, the University of New Mexico and Northwestern University. IU and Nolly have only allowed one multi-goal game this season and that came in IU's season opening 3-2 victory against Boston University.\nThe IU defense was able to accomplish all this while starting five different backs in the Hoosiers' three-back row in front of Nolly.\n"(The backs) are getting the job done," Nolly said. "I think our system is starting to come together. All they pretty much need me to be is focused on anything that's served into the box, and then I'll occasionally make one or two saves."\n"It's just staying focused, these guys are playing great. They are coming together at the right time," Nolly continued.\nIU coach Mike Freitag started Zayner at center back in every contest this season, except the Wisconsin match as Zayner had to sit out due to a red card received in the previous match versus Michigan.\nSophomore back Julian Dieterle, who started every game in his IU career prior to this season, returned to the field Oct. 10 following a medial collateral ligament injury. Junior Chris Pomeroy and freshman Greg Stevning stepped in for Freitag's defense when Dieterle's injury kept him sidelined.\nThe St. Louis Billikens (7-6-1 overall, 4-3-1 Conference USA) face East Carolina University tonight before hosting the Hoosiers Sunday afternoon. Sophomore midfielder Will John, a Hermann Trophy candidate, leads the Billikens in scoring on the season with 22 points on nine goals and four assists.\nIU is 16-7-3 all-time versus St. Louis. However, the Hoosiers are 5-4-1 when the two teams play in St. Louis.\n"John's a young man who's having another good year," Freitag said. "He's quick; he can make things happen; he's one you have to watch, and give a bit of attention to."\nThe play of the backs in the last two regular season games and the Big Ten tournament should serve as a recipe for victory since sophomore midfielder John Michael Hayden has carried the offense as of late with his surge of game winning goals in IU's last five victories.\nFreitag said earlier in the week the team probably needs to win the rest of its games to secure the first- round bye and home field advantage in the NCAA tournament, starting with Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Louisville and continuing into Sunday's game at St. Louis.\n"St. Louis, they have (six) losses or so; that's a bad year for them," Freitag said. "But I know the quality of players they have and the quality of team they have. In fact, I've talked to teams that have beaten them, and they've said they are a very good team. The tradition there, they're always going to be good and it's going to be a challenge."\n-- Contact staff writer Steve Slivka at smslivka@indiana.edu.