Hoosiers find rhythm in 1st half, defeat UK

Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the Hoosiers had scored a majority of their goals this season in the second half.

Closing late had been a theme for the team, with only three goals coming in its first 45 minutes of play this season.

That statistic nearly doubled in the Hoosiers’ 4-1 win against Kentucky with goals from forwards sophomore Eriq Zavaleta and Femi Hollinger-Janzen in the first half.

“Scoring early is always a positive,” Zavaleta said. “When we’re able to get the first one in the back of the net, there is less pressure to find the rest.”

The pair of goals came at the beginning and end of the half, with Zavaleta scoring just three minutes in, while Hollinger-Janzen connected in the final minute of the half.

“There is no question when you talk about times to score goals that getting one early or later in the half is important,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “There is a psychological factor that comes with those, and getting those goals in those moments really set the tone for our win here tonight.”

Zavaleta’s score started the Hoosiers strong, unlike most matches thus far.

Heading down the line, the Hoosier defensive wings got caught up in the action. Junior defender Matt McKain took the ball down the line and played a ball into the center of the box where Zavaleta was waiting.

Zavaleta used his foot not to receive the ball but to shoot it immediately when it reached him. The ball rose low to the far post connecting with the netting to put the Hoosiers up 1-0.

The second goal would be Hollinger-Janzen’s first of his Hoosier career.

Zavaleta worked his way into some space with Hollinger-Janzen tracking his line opposite the box and played the ball to Hollinger-Janzen.  

Just as Zavaleta had done earlier, Hollinger-Janzen used his foot to shoot instead of trap the ball. The ball rocketed off his foot and found the corner of the goal before making its way to the back of the net.

“It feels great getting the first one out of the way,” Hollinger-Janzen said. “It was all congratulations in the locker room for me.”

At the break, IU Assistant Coach Ernie Yarborough told Mike Glasscott for IUHoosiers.com that the next goal would be the most important.

Midway into the second half, Zavaleta shut out all doubt by notching his second goal of the game, his ninth for the season. The shot came after a pass from junior midfielder A.J. Corrado.

Freshman forward Andrew Oliver added to the Wildcat pain with his second goal of the season in the 80th minute. With the fourth goal, the Hoosiers surpassed their mark for most goals in a game this season.

“The more goals we score, the more confidence we gain going into the rest of the game,” Zavaleta said.

A set piece was the factor that ended what would’ve been senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner’s fourth shutout in five games. With just less than five minutes to play, the ball came over the box above the heads of each Indiana defender before finding the head of Kentucky’s Tyler Riggs. Riggs then placed the floated ball on far post past Soffner to bring the final score to 4-1.

“The boys are disappointed we didn’t get a shutout,” Yeagley said. “But when you walk away 4-1 and the fact that they are disappointed I think is very positive, and I take a lot of pride in that.”