The Hoosier men’s soccer team hasn’t dropped a conference match all season. Although they’ve tied on four separate occasions, IU hasn’t had a loss against any Big Ten team.
However, that could easily change when IU (8-1-5, 2-0-4) visits Wisconsin (8-3-2, 3-2-1) on Friday night in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin hasn’t lost a home game all season, which is good for a perfect 6-0 record, and has either won or earned a draw in six of its past seven games. The only loss for the Badgers in that span came in a 3-2 overtime battle last week at No. 1 Maryland.
IU Coach Todd Yeagley is all too familiar with the grounds in Madison. His first head coaching job was with the Badgers in 2009 before he returned to IU, where he was a four-time All-American as a player, after one season in Wisconsin.
“It’s a tight field. I think they have a good confidence there, like any team at home, maybe more so them than others,” Yeagley said. “This is a good Wisconsin team. They have some very good talent, so they’re going to be very confident, and this game is very important for them as well. It should be a great game.”
The Hoosiers and Badgers are tied for second in the conference with Michigan State at 10 points a piece. IU’s win percentage is better than both Wisconsin and Michigan State, which gives IU an edge. The Hoosiers still have to face both teams in the last two games of the conference season.
IU and Wisconsin match up well with each other on paper heading into Friday night’s game. The Badgers have the edge by one in goals scored while the Hoosiers have allowed two more goals on the defensive side this year.
Yeagley said he thought Wisconsin had a good team last year but some things didn’t exactly go the way the Badgers had hoped and their 5-11-3 record wasn’t indicative of the talent they had. He was also quick to point out a couple of key battle-tested juniors on Wisconsin that have risen to the occasion as of late.
“They’re capable of breaking you down off their passing like we are, and they’re also capable of good bypassing and going direct like we are too,” Yeagley said. “They’re adaptable, they are balanced and have players like us that can beat you off the dribble, and they’re also very dangerous on restarts.”
The balanced Badgers have six players with two or more goals on the year while the Hoosiers have five different players with that amount. Yeagley said although Wisconsin has players that look and play a little differently from his team, they’re still effective in similar ways.
It may very well come down to where the ball falls on the pitch and if the Hoosiers can catch a break if they want to put an end to the Badgers’ undefeated home record. The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to catch a break after IU senior goalkeeper Colin Webb wasn’t able to successfully clear a ball last match, and the Buckeyes were able to draw the Hoosiers.
Yeagley said that it’s the little breaks that could be the difference in this game.
“They have a couple weapons like we do. It’s just who will be sharper in those areas and who will catch the breaks,” Yeagley said. “Ball drops advantageously in the right spot, and we’re certainly looking to create those opportunities to get a ball to bounce our way on the night and finish off a play.”
