By Ben LarrisonThe Daily Northwestern
Sometimes, one shot is all it takes.
In a game that was all but statistically identical for both teams, Indiana took advantage of a first-half goal to defeat Northwestern 1-0 on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
The night’s lone goal came in the 28th minute, when Indiana freshman Eric Alexander curled in a ball from 20 yards out over a diving Will Briley and into the upper right corner of the net. The shot proved to be the only tangible difference, with the Hoosiers (8-3-3, 2-0-1 Big Ten) outshooting the Wildcats 11-10 and the teams with four corners and four saves a piece.
“Four years ago, we left there losing 1-0 and feeling pretty good about ourselves,” NU coach Tim Lenahan said. “This time we leave with a little bit of a knot in our stomachs.”
NU (9-4, 1-3) had four shots over the final 30 minutes of play, but the Indiana defense withstood the push, holding on for its second straight shutout.
Playing from behind against the Hoosiers proved to be especially difficult for the Cats, who are now 4-2 in games when they trail at the half.
“You have two choices in this world: you can choose to play wide open and attack, or you can choose to manage the game and choose your opportunities,” Lenahan said. “When you’re playing Indiana on the road, if you play wide open, you’ll get your goal, but Indiana will score five.”
After a promising start to the Big Ten season, NU has lost three-straight conference games. Lenahan views the close matches as a sign that NU can play with any team on its schedule.
The loss at Indiana was just the latest in which the Cats felt they could have or should have won the game but just didn’t get the breaks they needed.
“We were disappointed, and that’s one (positive) thing: that we didn’t walk out of there with a ‘moral victory,’ ” Lenahan said. “Because we played hard, we played well. We’ve played the best in the Big Ten, and although we’re 1-3, I don’t think anyone would say that any of the teams are better than us.”
Of the NU starters, only two – senior Brad North and junior Dave Roth – had ever played against Indiana before Saturday. While the Cats were missing seniors Daniel Chille and Will Nicholas, who were out with injuries, they got a promising performance out of Gerardo Alvarez, who was questionable before the game.
Alvarez, who has struggled with a foot injury, came off the bench and “played great for us,” according to Lenahan. The senior forward is a welcome re-addition to NU’s lineup.
And though the Cats already have three Big Ten losses, they know that no one in the conference presumes victory against NU.
“We’re not sneaking up on anybody,” Lenahan said. “Everybody in the Big Ten knows what’s going on.”
Reach Ben Larrison at [email protected].
