INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI men's soccer team posted its first shutout of the season and got a timely first half goal en route to a 1-0 win over Western Michigan at Kuntz Stadium on Friday night. Junior Dan Heidari was in the right place at the right time to net the game-winner in the 31st minute.
It was his third career score and was the direct result of IUPUI's athleticism on a corner kick.
Senior Vangel Nacovski bent the corner to the near post, finding 6-foot-2 midfielder Adrian Conrad.
Conrad redirected the ball to the middle of the six-yard box, where Louie Leger skied above the defense and flicked the ball to the back post, where Heidari was virtually unmarked for an easy put away.
Heidari finished the job, rolling the ball inside the left post as Western Michigan goalkeeper Casey Aubil never factored in the play. Leger's assist was only part of a night where he was, at times, the most dominant player on the field.
"Louie's been the big time surprise of the fall," IUPUI head coach Steve Franklin said. "He didn't play last year and was kind of running out of chances. We've struggled to put him in positions on the field where we could find him, but we recently moved him up top and his play has taken off. We didn't really have that defensive presence up top before."
Leger was consistently around the ball and helped IUPUI (1-3-1) keep WMU's possession frazzled for much of the night.
The IUPUI lineup also received a shot in the arm with the return of senior Peter Brasovan in goal and Chris Wey in the midfield.
"Peter showed some maturity, with some hiccups," Franklin said. "He's really waited a year and a half for this opportunity, after redshirting last year. This was his first test in nearly two years, and I think he showed his leadership.
"He had good vocal command, he just needs to do a better job of controlling his 18."
Brasovan made six saves on his way to recording his tenth career shutout. While Brasovan helped anchor the defense, Wey provided a much needed spark in the midfield. His ball skills helped IUPUI control possession for long stretches during the first half.
"(Chris) Wey really set the tone for the first 20 minutes," Franklin said. "We finally got some wide play, which we've been lacking. Just with his acceleration and athleticism, he brought a new dimension to the attack."
The attack nearly had more early in the second half when Nacovski hit a post on a restart from just beyond the 18-yard box. Western Michigan (2-3-0) made it interesting, attempting five shots over the final 25 minutes as the Jaguars struggled to put the game away.
Nacovski led IUPUI with four shot attempts as both teams fired 12 times apiece. Aubil made four saves in the loss for WMU. The win was IUPUI's first-ever win over Western Michigan as they entered play going 0-4 all-time against the Mid-American Conference foe. It was also the 99th win of Franklin's coaching career, leaving him one shy of the century mark.
IUPUI returns to action on Sunday when they travel to Cincinnati to take on Xavier University (2-3-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m..
