His walk toward the locker room took a detour, however, when he spotted his girlfriend and went over for a quick conversation. Both of them were smiling, and the conversation ended with him giving her a peck on the cheek. The junior defender had just done something he had never done in his IU career.
IU had not scored in the last two games leading up to Tuesday night’s match against Louisville, but McConnell, an unlikely goal source, headed in his first career IU goal in the eighth minute to give IU its first lead.
“I couldn’t even believe it went in,” McConnell said. “I didn’t know what to do, I just kind of ran around. I’m so energetic right now. I can’t believe it really actually happened.”
IU Coach Todd Yeagley said that McConnell had been talking about scoring a goal for a long time and would constantly tell his teammates about it during training.
“Billy has been talking about scoring everyday,” Yeagley said. “In training — and he said it before the game — he talks about it and the guys were so excited. He’ll put his head, his body, anywhere to score a goal or make a play or save a goal.”
The right back finally got his first goal when he popped at the far post in the eighth minute to head a knock back from sophomore defender Grant Lillard that came via a corner from junior midfielder Tanner Thompson.
McConnell said the last time he scored was in his senior year playing academy soccer and it feels good to finally see his name on the score sheet again.
“It’s been awhile,” McConnell said. “There’s been a force field in front of the goal for me, and I broke it tonight.”
The right back has had a few attempts that almost resulted in a goal this season. He has had 12 attempts on goal, with his score coming on the 13th attempt. Thompson said he was pleased.
“It’s big,” Thompson said about McConnell’s first goal. “Off corners, he’s been dangerous all year, and he’s had three or four balls cleared off the line on his headers. It’s the first of his career, and it’s nice to see him get one tonight.”
Despite the goal, McConnell said he thinks he did not put in a very good performance in the first half and highlighted some of his mistakes during the post-game interview.
However, everyone from his teammates to Yeagley and his girlfriend were happy he finally got his first goal Tuesday night.
“She was excited,” McConnell said about his girlfriend. “She said congratulations.”
