Men's soccer team's losing streak grows to 3

The IU men’s soccer team traveled to Wisconsin on Friday night in need of a victory.

The preseason No. 1 team in the nation entered Friday’s game with a record of 4-6-1. A win in Madison, Wis., would bring the Hoosiers’ Big Ten record back over .500 and build momentum for the season’s final games.

For much of the game, it appeared as if IU would get that victory, taking leads of both 2-0 and 3-1, but a familiar storyline ensued — the Hoosiers were unable to hold on to the lead and fell to Wisconsin 4-3.

None of the game’s seven goals came in the first half, as the two teams combined to take only two shots on goal in the first 45 minutes.

After the halftime break, freshman forwards and brothers Tommy and Tanner Thompson linked up to give IU a quick 2-0 lead.

Junior defender Drew Schall worked his way to the Badger end line and earned a corner kick for the Hoosiers, which was taken by Tanner.

His service found Tommy, who was able to get enough on the ball to direct it into the back of the net.

The brothers connected again just two minutes and four seconds later when Tanner again found Tommy to double the Hoosier lead.

The elder Thompson threaded a pass through the Badger defense to the younger Tommy, who slotted home his second goal of the night and fifth of the season.

“We’ve been trying to get Tanner into the game more and more,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “He’s been playing well in training, and he and Tommy obviously have a chemistry. We’re just trying to find the right combinations while keeping enough size on the field.”

After Wisconsin senior forward Tony Ramadani cut the deficit in half with a 65th-minute goal, sophomore forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen knocked in his fifth goal of the season, tying Tommy for the team lead and putting the Hoosiers up 3-1.

Tommy was fouled in Badger territory, which led to senior midfielder A.J. Corrado’s free kick into the penalty area.

Hollinger-Janzen rose above the commotion in front of the goal to meet the ball with his head and find the net.

With a two-goal lead and less than 20 minutes to go, it appeared as if the Hoosiers would cruise to their second Big Ten victory of the season. Wisconsin had other ideas.
 
The Badger attack sparked to life in the game’s final 17 minutes, scoring three goals in that time to snatch the win from IU’s grasp. 

Wisconsin defender A.J. Cochran began the comeback in the game’s 73rd minute, collecting a corner kick in front of the Hoosier goal and halving the Wisconsin deficit.

The 3-2 Hoosier lead stood until the 82nd minute, when Wisconsin midfielder Jacob Brindle found space in front of net and beat IU sophomore goalkeeper Michael
Soderlund.

With momentum on its side, Wisconsin netted another goal just three minutes later. Cochran’s second goal gave Wisconsin its first lead and the game its final scoreline.

With the loss, the Hoosiers fall to 4-7-1 (1-2 in conference) on the season.

It was the team’s fourth road loss in four games, and gives the Hoosiers their second three-game losing streak of the season.

It’s the first team in IU men’s soccer history with two losing streaks of three games in a season.

Yeagley said IU’s struggles closing out games has been an issue of the season.

“They’re doing a lot of good things, but this was another tough one,” he said. We need guys to step up, whether that’s through some changes, and we’ve been looking at that, or some individual performances.”

Follow reporter Alden Woods on Twitter @acw9293.