Playing on the road is never an easy task, and the first time in a season can be a bit unsettling.
It was a contested match with physical play throughout as three total yellow cards were handed out along with 19 fouls, but it was nothing No. 3 IU hasn’t seen this season.
The referee was put in some questionable positions, but the Hoosiers battled on.
The match may not have been pretty, nor was it their best-played match, but IU pulled out a 2-0 win Wednesday night in Ann Arbor over Michigan.
The game started off quite slow with both teams feeling each other out, but IU was ready to strike midway through the first half, led by junior forward Rashad Hyacenth. Tanner Thompson, of course, can’t be forgotten.
He was in there pulling the strings as he always does, but it was Hyacenth who was the main catalyst of the IU attacks. When the Hoosiers finally got on the board, the Belmont transfer was the man to set it all up.
Indiana’s moment didn’t come until the 27th minute, when Hyacenth ripped a shot on goal that Michigan goalkeeper Evan Louro couldn’t smother. It ended up falling to senior defender Billy McConnell, who was there at the goal line, to put the ball in the back of the net.
The goal didn’t come without consequence, however, as a Michigan defender stepped on the ankle of McConnell, ending his night as he hobbled off the pitch.
As this team is well-equipped with their next-man-up mentality, Rece Buckmaster stepped up and finished the match, along with redshirt sophomore Cory Thomas. Thomas got a good run of play on that right side vacated by McConnell.
The Wolverines would’ve answered back in the 36th minute if not for a diving save from Colin Webb in goal for the Hoosiers. Time and time again, Webb has come up big when the Hoosiers needed him to, and this kept the clean sheet.
Michigan was on the front foot in most of this match, outshooting IU 12-8, but with All-American Grant Lillard back from his red card suspension, the Hoosiers’ backline was stout once again.
Indiana put the brace on the match in the 78th minute when Richard Ballard followed up on a rebound to put the finishing touches on its first Big Ten win of the season.
A year ago it took IU until its third conference match to tally a win in the Big Ten, but this year’s team has gotten things on track early in the conference slate.
The first true road match can sometimes present issues, but the Hoosiers didn’t seem to have many against a winless Michigan team.
IU has had its way with the Wolverines in the past, and that continued Wednesday.
The Hoosiers have won eight of their last nine in Ann Arbor along with a 19-3-1 all-time record. It was also the 10th shutout.
IU remains unbeaten through its first six games for the first time since 2011 and for the 12th time in program history.
The Hoosiers will return home Sunday to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats.
