Hoosiers' Second-Half Goal Downs Spartans

Sept. 29, 2006

EAST LANSING, Mich. - A goal early in the second half by Indiana's Carrie DeFreece allowed Indiana to hold on for a 1-0 win over the Michigan State women's soccer team in Big Ten Conference action on Friday afternoon at Old College Field.

DeFreece fired her shot from near the end line on the right side of the goal and it drifted past a leaping Spartan keeper into the left corner of the net, giving Indiana (6-2-3, 3-0 Big Ten) a lead it would not relinquish in the 47th minute.

"It was a very defensive game where both teams played it close to the vest," head coach Tom Saxton said, "and those kind of games are going to be decided on mistakes. We made a mistake, and they didn't."

The Spartans (4-5-1, 0-2 Big Ten) got few chances to change that fate, taking just five shots in the game and two in the second half, as both teams played stingy defense throughout.

Sophomore Kristi Timar (Novi, Mich./Novi) had the best chance to score for Michigan State, a header from junior Maureen Pawlak (Novi, Mich./Novi) found Timar's feet in the goalbox in the 16th minute. Timar fired high and the ball rang off the crossbar.

Freshman Lauren Hill (Northville, Mich./Northville) and sophomore Michelle Telebar (Oakville, Ontario/St. Ignatius) each took two shots to lead Michigan State.

The Spartan defense did just as credible a job as the Hossiers did, allowing just five shots on goal, forcing junior goalkeeper Nicole Galas (Sterling Heights, Mich./Bishop Foley) to make just two saves.

Indiana keeper Stacey Van Boxmeer made one save to earn the shutout.

State will look to get back on the winning track when they play the back end of a doubleheader at Old College Field on Sunday at 3 p.m. against 19th-ranked Purdue on Comcast Local. The Spartan men's soccer team hosts Indiana at 12 p.m. in the first game of the doubleheader, as the program celebrates its 50th anniversary.