IU sophomore forward Justin Rennicks scored his first goal of the season against Virginia Commonwealth on Sept. 7. That goal wasn’t just the first of the season, but the first of his career.
After the game, he sat at the interview table and told everyone it was just the start, and that more would be coming.
On the field, Rennicks is aggressive, with crafty footwork and high-octane speed, full of flare. He did a backflip to celebrate that first goal. But, as he sat there and told everyone his future intentions, he wasn’t displaying cockiness. No, he was straight-faced, confident and dead serious.
Nineteen days later, it’d be foolish to say he was wrong.
Rennicks has done exactly what he said he was going to do — keep the goals coming.
The very next game, on Sept. 11, against ranked Notre Dame, Rennicks struck again. The Hoosiers and Fighting Irish were tied and went to overtime. Just eight minutes into the first OT, Rennicks was in the right place at the right time and just flicked the ball backward into the net off a corner for the match-winner.
Despite not scoring against Wisconsin on Sept. 16, Rennicks got off three shots and was constantly applying pressure to the Badgers’ defense.
His latest installment of goals came on Wednesday night against Northwestern.
In the 19th minute, Rennicks took the ball himself into the 18-yard box, took a sharp touch to the left with his right foot to juke one Wildcat defender. Then, as another defender came running in from his blindside, Rennicks felt the pressure and took one inward touch to the left again with his right to avoid the defender and fired the shot with his left to score his fourth goal of the season.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said that,” Rennicks said of his comments following VCU.
His goal put the Hoosiers up 1-0 at the half. IU eventually went on to win 2-1 after a goal from sophomore Griffin Dorsey in the 87th minute.
Even when the game was tied, Rennicks and the Hoosiers never panicked.
In the final ten minutes of the game, the Hoosiers were applying a lot of pressure on the Wildcat defense, and a game-winning goal seemed almost inevitable. Each chance the Hoosiers got closer and closer to sealing the game, and Rennicks was a big part of that.
Multiple times Rennicks used his speed to beat defenders and send in crosses that allowed great chances for the Hoosiers.
“You got to take your space,” Rennicks said. “When you have that little seam, you just got to take your shot.”
IU Coach Todd Yeagley switched things up a little bit with the lineup. Rennicks usually plays as a striker, but Yeagley started him in the midfield in this one.
Rennicks said he’s comfortable playing as the 10 or the 9.
“I think Justin has been getting better every game,” Yeagley said. “The goals are coming in that same stretch, but he’s playing so much better with his decisions, and his confidence is brewing.”
Coming into the season, Rennicks was looked at as a potential replacement for Mason Toye, who lead the team in scoring last year with 10 goals. Toye is now playing professionally in the MLS with the Minnesota United.
With four goals in nine games — four in the last five — and eight remaining in the regular season, Rennicks has the ability to match Toye’s numbers. It seemed almost irreplaceable to start the season with the depth of IU, but the roll Rennicks has been on leaves a question of not only will he match it, but will he surpass it?
“Yeah they keep coming, but they just don’t come to you,” Rennicks said. “You got to work for it. Next game against Penn State hopefully I’ll get another one and keep rolling.”
Don’t be surprised if Rennicks finds the back of the net on Sunday.
