Column: Weekend match could determine IU’s soccer tournament fate

Indiana, the Big Ten preseason favorite to take home the regular-season crown, will likely be the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament next week in Ann Arbor, Mich.
However, the top four spots are anything but set.

The No. 9 IU men’s soccer team (10-3-4, 2-1-2) will look to scrape together one final, regular-season win on Saturday.

The pivotal conference clash with Ohio State (10-5-2, 4-1-0) is the regular-season finale and one that IU must win heading into the conference tournament.

The Hoosiers did not live up to preseason expectations. This should serve as their motivation going into Saturday. However, winning at Ohio State will be anything but easy as the Buckeyes look to clinch the top seed and a first-round bye in the tournament with a win against the Hoosiers.

But forget Ohio State’s implications. IU must win this weekend if there is any chance at an easier route to the conference title game next week.

The Hoosiers have spent the season painting a canvas for a difficult postseason. If that canvas says anything about this weekend, it’s that they will not win. They will come home with a late-game letdown and, at best, another tie. A win could be just what the doctor ordered.

With a loss or tie this weekend, IU will be locked into the No. 4 seed and be pitted against No. 5 seed, Michigan State (6-7-4, 2-2-2). It would be a first-round rematch of their contest in Bloomington last month, which the Hoosiers,  should have won. IU had another second-half collapse in a 2-2 tie.

This possible game would be a tough match for IU, especially in a tournament setting, as the Spartans’ record does not reflect how good they really are. An upset could be in the making.

The Hoosiers should be rooting for Penn State this weekend when the Nittany Lions play Wisconsin. If the Badgers somehow falter at University Park, the Hoosiers could land the No. 3 seed if they win. They would go up against No. 6 seed Michigan (5-12-1, 1-4-0) in the conference tournament’s opening round.

The Wolverines have struggled all year long, and IU won the regular season match-up with a blowout, 4-1.

This is by far the best scenario for IU because it has done nothing but prove all year long that it cannot run with the big boys. And who in their right mind thinks it will suddenly do so now?

The Big Ten’s top-ranked team has not been able to find a way to win against its
toughest opponents in a season full of late-game letdowns.

Three leads have been washed down the drain, two at the hands of conference foes. The inconsistent play after halftime has me wondering what goes on inside the locker room during the break.

The Hoosiers cannot be perfect in every game, but consistent play is expected with a No. 9 ranking. If there is a time to be inconsistent, the team has chosen all the wrong times, resulting in a dismal 0-2-1 record against the nation’s top-25 and a 0-1-1 record against the Big Ten elite.

Saturday should be a statement game for IU. Not only to prove it is a solid team, but also to prove it can win against other championship contending programs, something it has not done all season.

If the Hoosiers lose this weekend, expect the Buckeyes to say “Thanks” instead of “Good game” at game’s end, as IU will have given away the top seed in next week’s
tournament.