Michigan State University
UIC
Spartans Earn Sixth Shutout Over Illinois-Chicago, 2-0
10/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 1, 2013
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Snapping a six-game winning streak for Illinois-Chicago, the Michigan State men's soccer team shutout the Flames, 2-0 in Chicago, Ill., on Tuesday evening. Earning their sixth shutout of the season, the Spartans improved their 2013 record to 6-1-1 in their last game before the Big Ten slate opens with Northwestern on Sunday. Adam Montague and Dewey Lewis each scored their second goal of the season in the second half to blank UIC and bring their five-game consecutive shutout run to a halt.
"We talked about being patient, but not casual," said head coach Damon Rensing. "UIC is very good defensively and they are good at turning defense into offense. When they transition to offense, it can be dangerous. But I thought we moved the ball quickly, got it into our forward speed. I thought we kept patience. It was a good college soccer game which is to be expected from a good UIC team who was 6-2 and hadn't given up a goal in five games with a six-game winning streak. It's a great team win.
"I think while they're different teams, there are a lot of similarities to Northwestern. They don't give a lot of things up, they're very organized. We're going to have be patient again, but not casual with the ball. So I think it might transition very well from this game into Sunday's."
Right out of the gate, the Spartans pushed to get on the board as Tim Kreutz recorded a shot on goal within the first minute of the game that was saved by the UIC keeper. The Flames answered forcing Zach Bennett to record his first save of the night. The first half continued with both teams exchanging shots and opportunities.
Sean Conerty also attempted to score the first goal with some additional opportunities for Michigan State in the first half. Adam Montague and Fatai Alashe both tried to squeeze in chances before entering the half, but both defenses kept the game scoreless. MSU was matched shot-by-shot with six total for both teams at the end of the first half.
The stalemate didn't last long into the second half as Jay Chapman recorded a shot on goal before assisting Montague who shot it in the net off of the rebound in the 57th minute and put MSU up 1-0. Leading the team in shots this season with 35, it was Montague's second goal of the season and 15th of his career.
"I was really happy for Adam because he's been a huge part of the streak we're on, but doesn't really have a lot of stats to show it," Rensing said. "He's played very well from a leadership role and work rate. With one of our captains, Kevin (Cope) out, I was happy for Adam. It was a well-deserved goal. We wouldn't have our record without him and what he's done."
Illinois-Chicago came back firing with two back-to-back shots on goal and Bennett coming up with key saves for the Spartans. MSU stifled the UIC attack as Dewey Lewis volleyed home a rebound off a corner kick from Ryan Thelen to give Michigan State at 2-0 lead in the 74th minute. It is the second-career goal for the freshman Spartan.
"Dewey executed what we asked him to do when a ball comes out on a clearance," said Rensing. "If you just keep it hard and low on the net, good things will happen. That's what he did. It was crowded and tough play for the keeper; we didn't know if he was going to deflect it or not and the ball just went in."
In goal, Zach Bennett added seven saves to his season total, putting him at 35 in 2013. He earned his sixth shutout of the season, ninth of his career. Bennett now owns a GAA of 0.49 and his Sv% to 0.897, first in the Big Ten.
Earlier in the day, Fatai Alashe was named National Player of the Week on Tuesday by TopDrawerSoccer.com. With Kevin Cope currently out of the backline, midfielder/defender Fatai Alashe expanded his position on the field and lent his skills where the MSU needed them most. The veteran Spartan put Michigan State on the board with a goal at No. 3 Creighton on Sept. 24 and added an assist in the home victory over North Illinois on Sept. 28.
"I'm glad he got some recognition because he never once asked, `why do I have to go back there?' It was always about the team," Rensing said. "When he made that switch, he just went back, no questions and just performed. He did his job and never complained. He's done a very good job along with Ryan Keener back there. That's not an easy thing to do. With that position, there is a lot of pressure. It could be a mistake defending or a mistake on the ball and now you've cost your team the game. He's been very calm and collected. He's handled it very well."
Also recognized on Tuesday following his first goal scored of the 2013 season in the Spartans' shutout win over Northern Illinois, sophomore Jay Chapman was named Big Ten Player of the Week by College Soccer Madness on Oct. 1. He recorded five shots and a game-winning goal to put the Spartans on the board over the Huskies, and earned an assist in the 2-2 draw against No. 3 Creighton.
"I'm happy for Jay," said Rensing. He's certainly maturing as a player from last year to this year. He's always had some special skills, but I think he's also doing a lot of things that are great defending that are helping us win games as a team. When you see these individual awards come about, it's basically due to team performance. The guys get recognized individually, but it's really about the team. Those guys have both done things that have helped the team and that's translated to some individual recognition."
The Spartans will continue their road stretch in the Land of Lincoln as they open up Big Ten competition against Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 6. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill.
