Aug 29, 2013
2013 adidas/IU Credit Union Classic
Bill Armstrong Stadium – Bloomington, Ind.
#9 UCLA
vs.
#7 NOTRE DAME
Friday, August 30 – 5 p.m. (ET)
SMU
vs.
#7 NOTRE DAME
Sunday, September 1 – 11:30 a.m. (ET)
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Labor Day Weekend always is a busy travel time for people across the United States and the Notre Dame men’s soccer team is no exception. And just like a family trip, Notre Dame’s annual journey to the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic usually provides some fond memories and tense moments.
The Fighting Irish will load the bus after their Thursday afternoon practice and head to Bloomington for the tournament, which is held each Labor Day Weekend on the Indiana University campus. This is the 11th straight season Notre Dame has participated in the marquee event.
The IU Classic usually features a strong field and this year is no different. Joining the seventh-ranked Irish in this year’s tournament are the hosts, No. 1 Indiana, along with No. 9 UCLA and SMU. Notre Dame will open the tournament – and its season – Friday against UCLA. Kickoff at Bill Armstrong Stadium is slated for 5 p.m. (ET). The Fighting Irish will face SMU at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday in the final day of the event.
“We’ll be moving up in intensity level this weekend because it’s now the regular season,” Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark said. “This is a big, big weekend for us because it can give us a jumpstart in a lot of things. We need to take one game at a time. I looked at some game tapes of UCLA and there’s no question that they are a top team and a team that will be a contender for the NCAA championship.”
This will be the 31st annual IU Classic and prior to Clark’s arrival at Notre Dame in 2001, the Irish played in the event three times, including a title-winning performance in 1993. Notre Dame is 11-11-4 all-time at the tournament and boast a 10-6-4 record with Clark on the sidelines. Last season, the Irish posted wins over San Diego State (3-2) and Clemson (2-1) to claim their second IU Classic championship. That was the second time Notre Dame produced a 2-0 mark in the tournament. The Irish also were perfect at the 2004 IU Classic.
“We’ve played some tremendous games down there,” Clark said. “It allows you to start the season with a real bang. I imagine this weekend will be another exciting couple of games. With SMU, UCLA, Indiana and ourselves, I don’t think there could be a bigger tournament in the country.”
Here are some memorable matches and moments for the Fighting Irish at the IU Classic …
2006
#18 Notre Dame 5, #12 Indiana 4 (OT)
This can be referred to as “The Joseph Lapira Game”. The junior forward netted four goals, including the game winner just over seven minutes into the first overtime, as the Irish knocked off the Hoosiers. Lapira gave the Irish a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute, but the Hoosiers got the equalizer in the 36th minute. Ian Etherington put the Irish back on top just 15 seconds later, yet Indiana netted two goals 17 seconds apart late in the first half to lead 3-2 at the intermission.
Tallies from Lapira in the 48th and 55th minutes gave the Irish a 4-3 advantage. Notre Dame appeared on the verge of winning in regulation, but with 12 seconds remaining a penalty was called on the Irish and the Hoosiers converted the penalty kick to force overtime. Lapira, the tournament’s offensive MVP, delivered in overtime and that match was the launching pad for his remarkable season. He ended the campaign with 22 goals and became Notre Dame’s first recipient of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy.
Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark …
“There’s no question the game that stands out among all the others (at the IU Classic) was against Indiana in 2006 when Joe Lapira scored the four goals. His fourth goal came in overtime and I wasn’t sure if it was a cross or a shot, but it somehow got in. I think there were about 6,000 people in the stadium that day and the game just swung back and forward. It certainly was a highlight game for Joe.”
Notre Dame assistant coach Greg Dalby (a senior captain on the 2006 squad) …
“That was the Joseph Lapira shootout. It was exciting because IU is always a really exciting opponent to play against. I think we both make each other better every time we play. We were fortunate enough to come out on the winning side of that game. It was one of the more exciting games I’ve ever been a part of, although not so much being a central defender.”
2007
#9 Notre Dame 2, #1 UCLA 1 (OT)
The 2007 season opener pitted No. 9 Notre Dame against No. 1 UCLA. A golden goal in the 94th minute from senior midfielder Alex Yoshinaga gave Notre Dame its second win ever against a top-ranked opponent.
Lapira continued his brilliance from the previous season by giving the Fighting Irish the lead in the 24th minute. Just like the year before at the IU Classic, the Irish seemed destined for victory in regulation but a UCLA goal with 38 seconds left forced the extra session.
1993 Tournament Champions
Notre Dame 4, #20 Rutgers 1
UNLV 1, Notre Dame 0
Years before Lapira had his breakout performance at the IU Classic, junior forward Tim Oates cemented himself in the tournament record book with a hat trick in a 4-1 season-opening win against No. 20 Rutgers. Oates opened the scoring in the 12th minute, but the Scarlet Knights leveled the match in the 42nd minute. Oates put the Irish on top for good less than two minutes into the second half and he completed the hat trick in the 62nd minute. Keith Carlson sealed the victory with a goal late in the match.
Despite falling to UNLV, 1-0, in the second game of the tournament, Notre Dame won the event with a +2 goals margin after all four teams finished with identical 1-1 marks. Oates was named tournament MVP.
2012 Tournament Champions
#15 Notre Dame 3, San Diego State 2
#15 Notre Dame 2, Clemson 1
Senior forward Ryan Finley, the 2012 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and M.A.C. Hermann Trophy finalist, scored twice and junior forward Harrison Shipp tallied one goal and two assists as the Irish opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over San Diego State.
Notre Dame used first-half goals from Alex Priede (15′) and Dillon Powers (43′) to take down Clemson, 2-1, in a steady rain at Armstrong Stadium. Clemson’s lone score was an own goal in the 26th minute. The win improved the Irish to 3-0 and they would eventually get to 7-0 before suffering their first setback of the season.
2005
#16 Notre Dame 4, #7 SMU 1
The Fighting Irish opened their 2005 season with a dominating 4-1 victory over seventh-ranked SMU. It didn’t take long for Notre Dame to strike against the Mustangs as junior Greg Dalby connected on a free kick from 40 yards out just 1:26 into the match.
A Nate Norman goal in the 15th minute put the Irish up 2-0, but SMU sliced the lead to one before halftime. Goals from John Stephens, which was assisted by Dalby, and Lapira in the 80th minute salted the match away for the Fighting Irish.
Dalby on the IU Classic and his goal against SMU …
“The IU Classic always is a really fun way to start the season and it’s exciting to play against some of the top teams in the country. We played against some great teams down there, including SMU. The goal was a botched set piece. I tried to serve the ball in and I think the goalie misread it and I put it in the back of the net. I think that was the first goal I ever scored here. It was exciting for our team to get a win against a big program in the first game of the season.”
2003
#3 Notre Dame 2, #11 Cal 1 (2OT)
Notre Dame fell behind in the 48th minute, but Devon Prescod deposited the equalizer in the 81st minute and he struck again in double-overtime (102′) to give the Fighting Irish a dramatic 2-1 win over Cal.
— Sean Carroll
–ND–