So at practice Tuesday, IU moved the goals closer together to work on finishing and play around the net. Each team had seven players, with extras on the sidelines playing balls into the area.
This created constant goal-scoring situations. Teams could score whenever they had the ball, which forced the Hoosiers to work on their ability in and around the box in preparation for their match Friday at Maryland.
“We have to put chances away and not put ourselves in a position for a call or a bad bounce,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “The effort was there, but we just have to get more clinical.”
In IU’s last match against Ohio State, the Hoosiers faced a team more focused on defense than offense. The Hoosiers dominated possession and the shot count, like they do against most Big Ten teams.
But Friday, IU plays one of the few Big Ten teams it’s similar to. Maryland is a team that likes to possess the ball.
“We haven’t had a team in a while that has gone after us,” Yeagley said. “So, yeah, it’ll be different, and we’ll talk about that.”
The similar style of play may result in IU junior goalkeeper Colin Webb being tested more frequently and more aggressively than he has recently. In IU’s last two matches, Webb has made three saves, none of which Yeagley said he definitively remembers.
For the first time, IU might have to be cautious of how many numbers it pushes forward, Yeagley said. With a team as athletic going forward as Maryland and a team that deploys two forwards in addition to wide midfielders, counterattacks can catch the Hoosiers out of position.
With how much the Terrapins pressure, similar to the Hoosiers, IU will be faced with a decision, Yeagley said. Does it try to facilitate a steady attack in the face of the pressure? If the Hoosiers go that route, they may find ample space in the wide parts of the field and play balls into the box, Yeagley said.
The other option will be to try to bypass the pressure altogether and play long balls up to either senior Ben Maurey or senior Femi Hollinger-Janzen, depending on who IU starts at forward.
The game also presents a bit of importance for the big picture. Maryland is one of two Big Ten teams ranked ahead of IU in the RPI. IU is also in last place in the Big Ten almost halfway through the conference season.
But Yeagley is working on keeping his team focused on Friday night alone, not what may come of the result. If the Hoosiers become too focused on the larger picture, they may bypass a chance in front of goal.
“We all want to look and project, but it does not do any good, it doesn’t,” Yeagley said. “We’ve learned that the hard way sometimes and have tried to pass on to the guys to stay in the moment and just enjoy this game, not worry about the implications of what the result means.”
