Pairing Up

Ranked No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, the IU men's soccer team looks to extend its Big Ten winning streak to five games, as the team hosts Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Northwestern at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. \n"This weekend is a big weekend, as far as the Big Ten goes," said IU coach Mike Freitag. "If we win these two, I think we are in pretty good shape. I mean, Ohio State hasn't lost yet, but they have a good number of games to go still. \n"(Wisconsin and Northwestern) are both improved, and they're both good. It's going to be a good contest. Penn State found that out last weekend."\nThe Hoosiers enter the weekend 8-2-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play, and currently hold the longest unbeaten streak in the Big Ten with four games (3-0-1). Last Sunday, IU defeated Michigan 2-1 in what became a physical match during the second half, with each team assessed nine fouls in the final stanza.\nOnce IU got on the board in the 54th minute on junior forward Brian Plotkin's goal and a subsequent goal in the 85th minute by sophomore midfielder John Michael Hayden, it seemed to have the victory well in hand. However, Michigan snuck in a late goal from senior Mychal Turpin -- the team's leading scorer -- with two seconds remaining in regulation.\nFreitag said he didn't make the team run more during practice this week for the last second goal let-down. He said it was a "teaching moment" because he does not accept mental mistakes.\n"Hopefully by not being hurt by it, hopefully we learned that lesson then and it will help us in the end," Freitag said.\nNorthwestern, which is 0-2-1 on the road this season, had similar results to IU's last second letdown in the Wildcats' game versus Penn State last Friday. The Wildcats were up 2-0 against the Nittany Lions late in the match until Penn State found the goal twice in a span of 32 seconds in the 90th minute to end the match tied 2-2.\nNorthwestern followed its disappointing tie by beating Western Illinois University in Evanston 3-0 Sunday.\nNorthwestern enters the match with IU, 7-3-2 overall and 0-1-1 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats are led by sophomore forward, Gerardo Alvarez, who has 10 goals and five assists on the season and leads the Big Ten in goals scored.\nThe Wildcats as a team lead the Big Ten in goals scored this season with 28 goals through 12 games.\nTwo days after Penn State came back to tie Northwestern, the Nittany Lions had a slugfest with Wisconsin (5-6-0 overall, 1-1-0 Big Ten) Sunday as the Badgers opened up the scoring in the 14th minute, with the two teams alternating goals until the 90th minute, when senior forward Nick Van Sicklen scored the game-winning goal, and his third of the match, to put Penn State away. Van Sicklen leads the team with seven goals and four assists on the season.\n"Wisconsin played two good games last week, so did Northwestern tying Penn State," said IU sophomore forward Jacob Peterson. "It's going to be a battle, and we need to come out and play."\nLast season IU went on the road to Northwestern and Wisconsin, defeating both teams by a score of 3-0. IU got goals from two current players -- IU sophomore back Julian Dieterle and junior Pat Yates -- in the win over Wisconsin. Sophomore Kevin Robson notched a goal versus Northwestern last season with former Hoosier, and current Major League Soccer rookie, Ned Grabavoy scoring the third goal against Wisconsin and the other two goals against Northwestern.\nDieterle, who started every game of his freshman year, made his return to the field last Sunday after sitting out the first three games in his career with an injury to his right medial collateral ligament.\n"(Scoring my first career goal against Wisconsin) was obviously a nice thing to do, but I'm worried about shutting down Van Sicklen and holding their attack, keeping them at zeros," Dieterle said. "I'm excited to get back in and I am feeling healthy."\nIU enters the weekend tied for the lead with Michigan and Michigan State for fewest goals allowed in the Big Ten, with nine goals given up total this season for each team. Wisconsin is at the bottom of the Big Ten in goals allowed with 19 through 11 games.\nIU senior goalkeeper Jay Nolly has played 4,309 minutes, 55 seconds consecutively, dating back to Oct. 13, 2002 versus Northwestern. The last time Nolly sat on the bench was when former coach Jerry Yeagley substituted Matt Reiswerg for Nolly in the 75th minute with the Hoosiers up 5-1 over Wisconsin on Oct. 11, 2002. This is a span of 35 games.\nThe two games this weekend mark the last two home Big Ten contests for the Hoosiers. The first 1,000 fans to arrive at Bill Armstrong Stadium tonight for the Wisconsin match will receive an IU rally towel, and the first 500 fans in attendance against Northwestern receive a free 2004 IU men's soccer team photo.\n"Our fans are great," Freitag said. "I mean, our fans have been fantastic. (Our fans) just don't sit on their hands; they come out and cheer. I don't think you can find better fans right now in the country."\n-- Contact staff writer Steve Slivka at smslivka@indiana.edu .