IU has hit the ground running thus far in 2016.
The third-ranked Hoosiers have battled adversity, ground out results and not yet lost.
Their quest for IU’s ninth national championship continues Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium when Northwestern comes to town for another Big Ten battle.
IU Coach Todd Yeagley’s squad has already started off the season better than last in the Big Ten with a win and draw in its first two matches. The Hoosiers will look to keep up their good form against a Wildcat team that’s lost five matches in a row after starting the season with a victory.
IU, on the other hand, comes in off a win in which, although the Hoosiers may not have played their best match, were able to get the result they needed at Michigan.
With IU being favored against Northwestern, Yeagley could end up dipping into his bench much like he did Wednesday against Michigan. This team has proven to be strong, so he can go deep into his bench if need be.
Yeagley gave guys like sophomore midfielders Rees Wedderburn, Rece Buckmaster and Cory Thomas some quality playing time, which could play a big factor down the line when IU goes up against stiffer competition. With the uncertainty surrounding senior defender Billy McConnell and his injury, the Hoosiers will be looking for someone to step up.
In the upcoming match against Northwestern, look for IU to get on the front foot early and try to assert their dominance against a Wildcat team that shouldn’t be much of a match for the Hoosiers. The Wildcats haven’t necessarily played top competition this season and haven’t fared well.
The Hoosiers did see the return of sophomore midfielder Francesco Moore, who had left the Maryland game early with a knock, and junior defender Grant Lillard, who served his one-game red card suspension. Both are integral parts of what IU is trying to accomplish and getting them back was big for the match against Michigan and beyond.
This week and into the beginning part of next week features a bit of a lull in IU’s schedule in terms of competition, but then it ramps back up with a match at Rutgers before big in-state matchups against current top-10 teams Butler and Notre Dame. These games give the Hoosiers a chance to get things in gear before entering the heart of their schedule.
They also come at a great time as they are a bit of a bridge from the tough non-conference matches to start the season to some of the tough ones remaining.
Sunday’s match may not jump out on the schedule as a huge match, but the Hoosiers have to be able to hold serve at home and stay in the picture in the Big Ten race.
