INDIANAPOLIS - It took 110 minutes to find a result, but the Hoosiers couldn’t crack the code against Butler.
A 0-0 draw was the end between the Hoosiers and Bulldogs at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl at Butler University.
After stumbling out of the gates in the first half, passing at a subpar level, and giving the ball away numerous times, IU found itself struggling to control the game early on.
“I felt like we were really out of sorts with our passing,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “That’s a lot of ties against these guys, and they’re always going to be up for a tough game. They’ve been good this season, and hopefully we can get over this tie.”
Yeagley said it wasn’t the best outing from his players this season, but he said he wants his team to learn from this match in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The second half saw the Hoosiers take their only shot on target in the game, coming from junior midfielder Trevor Swartz from almost 30 yards out. Other than Swartz’s strike, IU struggled to find the last touch, pass, or shot in order to break the deadlock.
IU’s attack couldn’t find its footing all game long in what was a poor showing from the still undefeated squad, which improved to 12-0-3 on the season with the result.
The freshman duo of Mason Toye and Griffin Dorsey couldn’t find a rhythm, and the latter had a hard time running along the sideline, as he drew a double-team each time he controlled the ball.
The midfield play was the key tonight for the Hoosiers, and they were able to add a little more versatility when sophomore defender Jordan Kleyn entered the game in the second half. Kleyn’s appearance gave junior defender Rece Buckmaster a chance to push up the field into the midfield, which created more opportunities for IU.
The Hoosiers showed frustration throughout the game, which was a physical contest.
Senior defender Grant Lillard said it was his responsibility to keep the rest of the team composed and calm when things started to get heated on the pitch.
“We wanted to stay positive and simplify the game,” Lillard said. “I said we didn’t need to force the issue. We wanted to create different chances because some things weren’t bouncing our way. It was about talking to guys and finding simpler options, trying to combine and get our confidence going again.”
Freshman goalkeeper Trey Muse extended his clean sheet mark to 889 consecutive minutes. The milestone puts him in seventh place among the all-time shutout streaks in Division One soccer.
“It seemed like a lot of minutes tonight,” Yeagley said. “We knew Trey was a talented goalkeeper and we knew this team would not give up a lot. Trey got this opportunity early on and he’s been riding with it. He’s done a really nice job, and to get in the record books is a great accomplishment.”
Yeagley said he tried to make all the adjustments he could, but the team couldn’t find the right connection. This was the first time that’s happened all season.
“Tonight was the most sporadic our substitution pattern has been,” Yeagley said. “We couldn’t find a rhythm with this group tonight, and we kept stabbing at it. It backfired on us a little bit tonight, and our attack couldn’t find that rhythm. I don’t know if the changes necessarily helped, and I think tonight was just one of those nights for us offensively.”
