Kotlov scores in 3rd straight game, IU ties

Sophomore Nikita Kotlov has started only two games this season, but he hasn’t wasted any time getting into an offensive rhythm.

Kotlov, starting for the second straight game in place of midfielder Jamie Vollmer, headed in his fourth goal of the season to put the Hoosiers ahead 1-0 in the 32nd minute.

For the second time this season, the IU men’s soccer team built a 2-0 lead and were unable to register a victory.

The No. 13 Hoosiers (9-3-3, 2-1-2) tied conference rival Michigan State 2-2 in overtime Sunday at Jerry Yeagley Field.

“I saw myself unmarked, and I just followed Eriq’s (Zavaleta) run, and A.J. (Corrado) put it right on my head, and I was able to finish it,” Kotlov said.

Kotlov has scored goals in three consecutive games, and he attributes this to working with his teammates.

“Most of these goals have been because I have made runs, and other players have made a spot for me to finish, and it’s easy from there with good balls from my teammates,” Kotlov said.

The Hoosiers went into halftime with a one-goal lead and stretched it to 2-0 when sophomore Jacob Bushue scored his second goal of the season in the 50th minute off of an assist from Zavaleta.

“I snuck in and stole the ball and bounced it to Eriq, and he played a great ball back to me, and I put it in the back of the net,” Bushue said.

IU outshot Michigan State 27-6 on the game, but the Spartans made their shot attempts count. Spartan Stephen Lucianek put a ball past goalie Luis Soffner to cut the lead to 2-1 in the 55th minute. After the game, Soffner said he thought Michigan State committed a foul on the play.

“It was pretty apparent that it hit a hand. Whether it was intentional or not, you could always argue that,” Soffner said. “Instead of maybe giving up on the play and try to argue with the ref, we need to keep fighting. We can’t let them get easy goals like that, even if we thought it was a handball or not.”

Michigan State kept fighting. Less than four minutes after Lucianek’s goal, Spartans’ midfielder Adam Montague tied the game at two off a throw-in in the 59th minute.

”On the two restarts, they knew what they were looking for, and we just need to be more focused,” Soffner said. “It was a lack of concentration by everyone. They finished them when they were in the box, so credit to them.”

IU Coach Todd Yeagley wasn’t pleased with the errors his team made, allowing Michigan State to stay in the game after a two-goal deficit.

“We have made some critical mistakes,” Yeagley said. “The disappointment is that we have had some chances to get the third goal. Our composure in and around the box has got to be better.”

Kotlov said the team hasn’t lost faith, but it needs to clean up some mental mistakes.
“We had a great speech from our coach,” Kotlov said. “I think we will be mentally tougher after giving away soft goals like that.”