Knights joust Irish out of Big East tournament
By KERRY SMITH
Sports Writer
The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers left the Notre Dame men's soccer team seeing red, as they ousted the Irish from the Big East Championships in the quarterfinal round Saturday.
Entering into the championship series seeded eighth, the Irish were unable to upset the top-seeded and 17th-ranked Knights in Piscataway, N.J.
"Rutgers is a great team. If they're not the best in the conference then they're definitely one of the best," said midfielder Matt Rosso. "They have some real good players and some excellent athletes."
With the loss, the Irish closed out their 1999 campaign, finishing the season with an 8-9-3 overall and 4-5-3 Big East conference record.
Posting a 2-0 victory, the Knights set the tone of the game in the opening minutes of play.
"We wanted to come out hard and not let them or their fans into the game, but they were able to take advantage early on" said Rosso. "The two goals obviously affected it us, but we did our best to keep at the ball and keep pressuring their players and to not let the goals affect us so much that it altered our play."
Less than three minutes had expired off the clock in the first half before Knights' defender Todd Moser chipped a shot past Irish goalkeeper Gerick Short at the 2:36 mark. Midfielder Guy Abrahamson set up the play for the Knights when he crossed the ball to Moser in front of the net.
"They came down the field early and finished one play off of a cross for the first goal," said Rosso. "It was a let down for us and a big boost for them and their fans, but we stayed in the game and still played well."
That was all the Knights needed for the win, but they added an insurance goal 14 minutes later when forward Dennis Ludwig notched the final score of the game in the 16th minute of play.
"After they scored early on, the game was really going either way and we were well matched," said Rosso. "They didn't dominate on the field by any means and we weren't always put on the defensive. Most of the play happened in the middle third of the field. We both had opportunities, but they were able to capitalize on theirs while we were not."
The Knights combined their potent offense with a steely defense, allowing the Irish only two shots on goal.
"We did play well. The book shows only two shots, but we were getting around the box and moving the ball pretty well," said Rosso. "We had opportunities, but we just didn't take shots when we should have."
The Knights broke down the Irish defense and peppered the goal with 17 shots. They registered six shots in the first half and, despite being held scoreless in the second half, put 11 shots on goal.
The tone of the game was unlike the last meeting between the two squads earlier this season. The Knights beat the Irish in October with a 1-0 shutout decision, but the Irish dominated on offense, delivering 16 shots on goal — double what the Knights came up with.
Short closed out his Notre Dame career by registering five saves in goal. Goalkeeper Greg Tait also saw playing time for the second time this season when he replaced Short for the final seven minutes of the contest. Forward Erich Braun registered the Irish squad's only shots. Braun ended his freshman season leading the team in scored goals and points with nine goals, six assists and 24 points overall.
Reflecting on a season of ups and downs, the Irish are pleased with the results.
"You've got to be upset about the losses or the ties, but we achieved our first goal which was making the playoffs," said Rosso. "We came together as a team near the end of the season to tie Seton Hall and make the Big East tournament. While it would have been great to have made it farther, overall deep down, we're pleased with what we were able to accomplish."
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 8, 1999
