No. 9 Hoosiers drop weekend road game in St. Louis to Billikens

ST. LOUIS -- The IU men's soccer team lost its third game of the year, just seven games into the season.\nSloppy and timid play plagued the No. 9 Hoosiers as they lost to Saint Louis University Friday evening 1-0. The Billikens outplayed the Hoosiers for most of the game and prevented late attempts by the cream and crimson to tie the score to win.\nThe Hoosiers now have as many losses as the team recorded all last season.\nIU coach Mike Freitag said the team can improve in many areas.\n"We still have a long way to go as a team," he said. "We are a team that I think is a blue-collar team. If we don't get after it and get into tussles, we are not going to be a good team. I didn't think we were good in the first half at all. I thought we chased the ball, and everybody had a lack of communication, which is a skill this team needs to get better at. I tried to simplify things defensively."\nSaint Louis dominated possession in the early parts of the game, but the Hoosier defense prevented the Billikens from creating any dangerous scoring opportunities.\nFinally, in the 36th minute, the Billikens were able to get on the scoreboard. Saint Louis midfielder Alex Matteson scored from eight yards out on a cross from the left side.\nFreitag was disappointed that the Hoosiers were unable to match the Billikens' intensity and were dominated physically in the first half.\n"He let into us a little bit, as he should," sophomore midfielder Brad Ring said. "We were playing horrible, and he let us know it. We came out and played a little better but not really. We were still laying back and not going after it."\nThe Hoosiers were more aggressive when they retook the pitch but were unable to create many scoring chances in the early going of the second half. The game concentrated in the midfield with neither team being aggressive offensively.\nWith time winding down, the Hoosiers began desperately attacking the Saint Louis defense trying to get the game-tying goal. The best chance of the game came when senior midfielder Josh Tudela shot the ball from 15 yards out. The ball then deflected to junior defender Greg Stevning who shot it just wide of the goal.\nThe Hoosiers out-shot the Billikens 7-3 in the second half but were unable to tie the score.\nFreitag said he liked the second-half effort but said his team did not match the aggressiveness of Saint Louis.\n"I felt better about the second half because we played like a Hoosier team and got after it," he said. "Saint Louis was better on the ball overall. They are very well organized, and (they) knock the ball around well."\nFreshman midfielder Eric Alexander saw increased playing time. The Gatorade National High School Player of the Year logged 40 minutes of action in the loss.\n"I played 10 minutes in the first half, and I was nervous," Alexander said. "But I came in the last 30 (minutes) of the second half, and I felt more comfortable"\nThe team travels Wednesday night to Akron, Ohio, to take on the Zips. To be successful in that game and for the rest of the season, the Hoosiers will have to play harder than they did against the Billikens, Freitag said.\n"You (have to) play 90 minutes with the same intensity, focus, communication and all the things you have to do to be successful," he said. "We didn't do it (Friday night)"