Hoosiers keep composure, prevail versus physical Michigan

IU's 1-0 lead suddenly didn't look so good after sophomore back Jed Zayner received a red card when he tackled Michigan back Dawson Stellberger.\nThe hard tackle broke Stellberger's leg and resulted in a lengthy stop in play so an ambulance could take the fallen player off the field.\nIU was forced to play a man down for the remainder of the match, but eventually prevailed 2-1.\n"The red card just made the whole game change," IU coach Mike Freitag said. "But I think the guys adapted well."\nZayner's red card was just one incident in a game marred by nearly 30 fouls and seven yellow and red cards combined. The Hoosiers were issued a yellow card along with a red, and Michigan received four yellows and a red card of their own in the 77th minute.\n"The main thing about IU soccer is the composure that we have for 90 minutes," sophomore midfielder Josh Tudela said. "Even when the other team is coming out and hitting us, it just takes all of us keeping out head in the game and being composed."\nIU junior midfielder Brian Plotkin put the Hoosiers ahead at the start of the second half. Zayner carried the ball into Michigan's box -- drawing the Wolverine defense. He then played a soft pass to Plotkin who was left unguarded, and Plotkin buried a 12-foot shot into the lower corner of the net.\nPlotkin had missed two opportunities earlier in the match when a header went wide and a 20-yard laser was deflected off the crossbar by Michigan's goalkeeper, Joe Zawacki.\n"Whenever a team is packing it in, we try to get a lot of people making runs off the ball and keep the ball moving until we find a way to penetrate through and get behind the defense," Tudela said.\nDespite the Hoosiers playing a man down for much of the second half, IU's defense protected the one goal lead by giving Michigan only two quality chances. \nSenior goalkeeper Jay Nolly covered the rest.\n"It's always tough losing Jed in a situation like that," Nolly said. "But we moved (junior back Drew Moor) in the middle and he's one of the best players in the nation."\nWith just under 20 minutes left in the game, Michigan ripped a hard shot that seemed destined for the upper corner of IU's net. But Nolly leapt into the air and deflected the ball wide of the goal. \nIn the 83rd minute Michigan packed into IU's box once again and put a shot on goal that forced Nolly to lunge to his left and deflect the ball wide once again.\nJust one minute later, sophomore midfielder John Michael Hayden carried the ball into the Michigan defense and juked two players before sending a low shot past Michigan's keeper. \nMichigan's Mychal Turpin snuck a goal past Nolly with only 2.9 seconds left on the clock after several IU defenders played "mentally soft," Freitag said.\n"I don't know (what happened), but I'm very upset about it," he said. "Those kind of things shouldn't happen. I don't like seeing them get a goal up on the board."\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.