The Hoosiers had only tallied four goals in their first six games.
After No. 17 IU’s 4-2 win against Central Florida (UCF) on Wednesday, the team topped that mark with six goals in its last two games.
The scoring output Wednesday was the highest number of goals scored by the Hoosiers since Oct. 23, 2013, against Evansville.
The IU men’s soccer team had not scored more than one goal in a game entering play Saturday when the team took on Rutgers.
After struggling to score goals early on in the season, IU appears to have broken through and opened the flood gates by scoring twice in its win against Rutgers and the four goals against UCF.
IU Coach Todd Yeagley and his players remained confident the goals would come, and they have.
“I’m really happy that we got not only four goals but four good goals,” senior ?defender Patrick Doody said. “That’s a very positive step.”
Senior midfielder Jamie Vollmer opened up the scoring Wednesday just three minutes in as he put back a cross from junior Matt Foldesy into the net from just inside the six-yard line.
Freshman midfielder Trevor Swartz netted IU’s second goal at the 32-minute mark, as he put back a shot by junior Femi Hollinger-Janzen and put it right over a diving Knights goalie.
IU’s third goal was drilled in on a rocket of a shot by Doody from about 25 yards out. It came just one minute after Swartz’s goal and gave the Hoosiers a comfortable lead going into halftime.
“(Doody’s goal was) a great goal,” Yeagley said. “Patrick has worked his tail off on those types of scenarios. That’s not a fluke for him. He’s worked really hard.”
The goal was assisted by sophomore Billy ?McConnell.
“We didn’t create as many good looks as we have in some games,” Yeagley said. “I thought all the goals were very well done.”
The final goal came from freshman defender Grant Lillard.
It was his first career goal and was the second assist for McConnell. The goal gave IU a two-goal lead, which it would not give up.
“It was nice,” Lillard said. “I feel like I’ve missed a lot of opportunities this year so it was good to get the first one and get the goal-scoring going.”
While the Hoosiers tallied their highest scoring mark of the season, they also allowed the most goals they have given up in a single game all season.
Yeagley said he is confident in his defense, which has been a strong point all year so far.
“I think we were just a little lazier and slower on our team defense throughout the field,” Lillard said. “It’s the first time we’ve given up two goals, which isn’t a bad thing. We’ve done pretty well on the defensive end, and it doesn’t hurt our confidence at all.”
