It was a successful road trip for the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers during the last two weeks.
IU defeated then-No. 8 Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Evansville by a combined score of 10-2. The Hoosiers will return for their second conference game of the season Tuesday night against Northwestern at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Here are three things to know about the Wildcats before IU goes for its eighth-straight victory.
NO GOALS FOR YOU
All four of Northwestern's wins this season have come via shutout. In the four matches, the Wildcats outscored opponents 6-0.
One of the main reasons why Northwestern has been able to pick up four shutout victories is the play of sophomore goalkeeper Miha Miskovic.
Earlier this season, Miskovic was named the Big Ten’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week after a combined 200 shutout minutes in a win over Cleveland State and a tie against Xavier. Miskovic had five saves on a combined 32 shots faced.
Another reason why Northwestern's defense has found success this season is sophomore defender Garrett Opperman in the backline. Last season, Opperman was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten’s All-freshman team. He’s played every minute of the season for the Wildcats.
PLAYING OVER 90 MINUTES
The Wildcats have experience when it comes to overtime periods. Northwestern has played in five matches this season that have reached extra time, including the last two to begin Big Ten play.
IU has played in two overtime matches, each on the road against North Carolina and Notre Dame, two top-10 teams.
In the first match against Maryland, Northwestern had a 1-0 lead in the second half. Then, Maryland scored a goal in the 83rd minute to send the game to overtime. The Terrapins defeated Northwestern with a golden goal in the 94th minute.
The Wildcats picked up their first conference points in their match against Ohio State. The two teams had a scoreless tie after double overtime.
CAMDEN BUESCHER AND TOMMY KATSIYIANNIS ARE THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
The combination of senior midfielder Camden Buescher and sophomore midfielder Tommy Katsiyiannis has been important to Northwestern’s success.
Both players have a game-winning goal to their names this season. Katsiyiannis scored in the 72nd minute to defeat Valparaiso 1-0 and Buescher had the game-winner in the 99th minute to down Loyola Chicago 1-0.
Buescher leads the Wildcats with three goals and an assist and has a .429 shot percentage. Last season, he started all 19 matches and had four assists to lead the team.
Katsiyiannis only has one goal this season, but in 2017, he led Northwestern with seven goals that all came in the final seven matches of the season.
