After being unable to answer to Butler’s offense Wednesday night, IU was again unable to keep up with the pace of Rutgers’ forward line as they conceded four goals.
“We looked tired and we looked heavy. I don’t know why,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Wednesday’s game was tough emotionally and physically, so I know that played into it, but I didn’t feel that would play as large a role today as it did.”
In the past two games, IU’s opponents have found success by using speed and the flanks to breach the Hoosiers’ defense. Opposing forwards or wingers found success by driving down the flanks and cutting inside or by using their speed to outpace the defense.
Rutgers’ third goal came via this route. Sophomore forward Miles Hackett won the ball on the wings and sprinted down the wing before cutting in to put it past junior goalkeeper Colin Webb.
The Scarlet Knights’ first goal also started from the wings as freshman midfielder Sheldon Mckoy received the ball from the left wing before firing his shot away.
“Personally, I think Indiana’s defense plays a little bit high,” said Rutgers’ sophomore forward Jason Wright. “That worked in our advantage because that left a lot of space in their defense, and we could exploit that space with our speed, so they played into our hands.”
The Hoosiers have now conceded six goals in their last two games, and those goals came up against conservative opponents.
Wright found success by using his pace against the IU defense, as his goal in the first half exemplifies. Receiving the ball in the center circle, Wright powered past sophomore defender Grant Lillard and sprinted half the length of the field before rounding Webb to put it into the back of the net.
The sheer athleticism of the Rutgers’ offensive play created problems for the Hoosiers all afternoon. Wright, who was playing alone up front, was able to use his speed to his benefit on numerous occasions. Besides his own goal, he also found opportunities to create chances for his teammates.
“Our coach knew that our speed up top is really dynamic, and he really wanted us to use it to our advantage,” Wright said.
Three of the six goals conceded in the last two games involved opposing players using their speed.
“I think it’s more a team defending than the speed,” senior midfielder Matt Foldsey said. “But it’s definitely something we are going to have to go back and look at and figure it out.”
