In IU’s sixth match against Butler University, it managed to find the back of the net twice in the first half, with two different players.
Despite Tuesday at practice when he said he was happy with how his attack was working, IU Coach Todd Yeagley made a variety of changes to his attack for IU’s 2-2 draw Wednesday at Butler.
“They brought energy to our starting lineup and they did a great job today,” senior Femi Hollinger-Janzen said. “Their energy and their speed and quickness really helps us out.”
The changes included inserting senior Kyle Sparks and freshman Rece Buckmaster into wide attacking midfield positions and moving Hollinger-Janzen up to forward from the midfield.
Early on, the changes were evident.
The attack looked more fluid, with Hollinger-Janzen providing more movement and activity from the forward position than the Hoosiers have seen in games past.
Both Buckmaster and Sparks were able to create problems with their pressure, forcing turnovers in the Butler half of the field.
“The energy of the team was just up and we were pressuring very well and attacking as a unit,” Hollinger-Janzen said.
Much of the change was centered on Hollinger-Janzen’s advancement up the field.
Oftentimes, when Sparks, Buckmaster or another Hoosier was able to pressure and steal the ball from a Bulldog defender, Hollinger-Janzen was there as an option to pass to.
Other times, he was available as an outlet at midfield when the IU defense won the ball and needed to clear the ball out of its own box.
Hollinger-Janzen was able to control the clearance, hold off a defender and either find a teammate to pass to or draw a foul so IU could advance up the field.
Hollinger-Janzen also exorcised somewhat of a demon for the Hoosiers, scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute.
The Hoosiers are now 2-for-4 from the spot this season.
But what he did most was provide a mobile target for his teammates, and one capable of distributing and starting the attack.
“We thought athletically he would cause problems and he was fantastic in the first half,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “I thought Femi was an All-American.”
For the second Hoosier goal, Hollinger-Janzen did more of the same.
An IU player had pressured a Butler defender and forced a turnover.
The ball found its way to the feet of Hollinger-Janzen about 40 yards from the goal.
The Hoosiers moved forward toward goal and Hollinger-Janzen laid the ball off the senior midfielder Matt Foldesy.
Foldesy then lobbed a ball to the left corner for junior midfielder Tanner Thompson.
Thompson controlled the pass, took a few touches toward the endline and played a cross toward goal and Sparks, who flicked the ball to the far post where Buckmaster tapped the ball home for his first career goal.
Four passes in the span of about 10 seconds and a goal.
Yeagley was impressed with the effectiveness of his new offensive formation, despite the team’s failure to come out on top.
“That was a clinic in the first half,” Yeagley said. “I haven’t seen an IU team pull apart Butler like that. They had nothing.”
