Senior, freshman shine in IU victory

With freshman forward Darren Yeagle out of the lineup due to mononucleosis, the IU men's soccer team downed the Louisville Cardinals 2-0 Wednesday night thanks to goals from the team's most and least experienced players. \nTeam captain and senior midfielder Josh Tudela and freshman midfielder Eric Alexander found the back of the net for the Hoosiers to increase the team's win streak to three games and its unbeaten streak to five. \n"It's great to finally put a team away and get a shutout at the same time," Tudela said. "Hopefully we'll keep doing that."\nWith less than five minutes ticked off the clock, Alexander made a drive toward the Cardinal goal when he was tackled by a Louisville defender, setting up a free kick for the Hoosiers. Tudela took the kick from 25 yards out and drilled it into the top right corner of the Cardinal goal. It was Tudela's first point of the season. \n"I've been working on that in practice just about everyday. (I) just got a little lucky, good hit on the ball," Tudela said. \nHe added that he was "amazed to finally" get his first point of the season. \nTudela has been taking many of the Hoosiers' free kicks recently and missed by mere inches on a direct kick against Michigan State Sunday.\nTudela was determined to finish his opportunities from that point on. \n"I just came out yesterday and hit quite a few free kicks to get ready for tonight's game," he said.\nTudela's goal wasn't the only first of the night. Alexander, in his fifth career start, connected on his first ever college goal. \n"It's definitely a load off my shoulders to finally get my first college goal," he said. \nIn the 30th minute, freshman midfielder Kevin Alston made a run down the right side of the field and juked past two Louisville defenders. Alston took the ball into the Cardinal penalty box and crossed the ball to the center of the field to Alexander, who buried the ball in the Cardinal goal. \nAlexander called the hookup the "freshman connection."\n"Kevin just made a good run down the line and drew a couple of defenders," he said. "I gradually made it up the field. Nobody really tracked me, so I was just standing wide open on the (penalty kick) mark. He played a good ball in, but I was a little off balanced, so I had to slide for it, got a lucky touch and found the back of the net."\nAlexander is one of three freshman players who have started the past few games for the Hoosiers. \n"It's been pretty incredible, given the team we have right now," Alexander said of the freshmen's impact. "I think we have a lot of talent on this team, and it's pretty nice starting three freshmen ... Making the jump from high school or club to college is a lot different. I remember my first game. I was real nervous. Every time I step on the field I get more and more comfortable."\nIU coach Mike Freitag is not completely comfortable with his team's performance. \n"An early goal is always a good thing, but sometimes it can let you get your guard down," Freitag said. "Tonight I thought we played well at times, but I still want a consistent 90 minutes, and we haven't gotten that yet."\nThe coach has patience, though. \n"Rome wasn't built in a day, and a soccer team takes a little more than a month also," he said.