Indiana to play No. 1 UNC in 3rd round

Sophomore Nikita Kotlov has three postseason goals in three games in 2011, and it doesn’t look like he’ll slow down any time soon.

Kotlov scored two goals to lead the 16th-seed IU men’s soccer team (13-3-5) to a 3-0 victory against Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

The Hoosiers will take on No. 1 North Carolina next Sunday.

On a soggy and rainy day at Jerry Yeagley Field, the Hoosiers were aggressive from the beginning, placing constant pressure on the Monarchs’ defense
.
Kotlov gave the Hoosiers an early lead with his goal in the 17th minute after an offensive attack by senior defender Chris Estridge left Kotlov alone at the left corner of the goal.

“I was making a run, and I wasn’t sure when Chris was going to hit it. And I got a lucky bounce, and it came to me. And I was able to put that one away,” Kotlov said.

Kotlov’s first half goal was his eighth of the season, but he wasn’t finished. He added his ninth in the 71st minute to seemingly put the game out of reach on a play that he and the rest of the team had been working on.

“We have been working on crosses in practice over the last several days, and I guess with more repetition, I was able to be more focused and get that to slide in as well,” Kotlov said.

For most of the season, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Eriq Zavaleta and senior midfielder Alec Purdie have attracted attention for their footwork on the pitch.

But during the last nine games, Kotlov has ascended as possibly the most dangerous goal scorer for the Hoosiers, scoring eight goals in that span.

“Eriq always brings two or three defenders because he is so big and strong on the ball, and when Purdie has the ball in isolation, you have to bring another defender,” Kotlov said. “With those two, it opens up space for me and makes it much easier for me to go out and give my best.”

Junior Tim Wylie’s goal gave the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead on a rebound from a Kotlov header. For Wylie, it was a sweet moment to score his first career goal in an NCAA Tournament game.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m glad to get it out of the way,” Wylie said with a grin across his face. “More importantly, I’m just happy to help the team get the three-goal cushion, and I’m glad to help us move on to the next round.”

The high-powered Old Dominion offense attacked the Hoosier defense relentlessly for much of the game, but IU was up to the challenge, and that was something that senior defender Tommy Meyer talked about as the focus coming in.

“Not only our back four, but everyone in front of us played solid today,” Meyer said. “It always helps when everyone is focused, and that was one thing we talked about. We needed to shut them down, and I think our whole unit did a great job of staying focused.”

The game got a little chippy in the second half as Alex De John and Tommy Webb of Old Dominion were ejected after receiving red cards.

IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he was proud of his team’s response to the
situation.
“We always say keep your composure and don’t react to something,” Yeagley said. “We do that in training. We show that in video, so when they get in the heat of the moment, they make good decisions.”

For the second time in Yeagley’s two years in Bloomington, the Hoosiers will advance to the sweet sixteen  of the NCAA Tournament. Yeagley said the key to keeping the season going will be their focus for 90 minutes.

“The deeper you go, most games are going to be tight,” Yeagley said. “It’s going to be a restart. It’s going to be a great goal, and the key is to not give teams those
opportunities.”