COLUMBUS, Ohio – Andrew Gutman, sporting his gray 2018 Big Ten Championship shirt and baseball cap, stood in the middle of his teammates and said this was just step one of three.
'Hoosiers on three. One, two, three, Hoosiers!'
The senior defender was referring to his team’s most recent victory 1-0 against Ohio State, which clinched the Big Ten regular season title outright for the Hoosiers. It’s the 15th in program history, but the first since 2010, and the first of Gutman’s and the rest of the seniors' careers.
Emotion poured from them as they were finally able to hold up the coveted Big Ten glass trophy.
“The guys have been so close the last couple years,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “I’m certainly happy for the seniors, in particular because of how good they’ve been during the course of their time here. This Big Ten run has been quite special, so to get rewarded with a trophy is great.”
It didn’t come without a challenge, though.
The 27th minute was a wake-up call for the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers.
Ohio State, which had one win all season and none in the Big Ten, was playing IU tough and was on the attack for about five minutes straight. IU sophomore goalkeeper Trey Muse had some sloppy clears, and the offense wasn’t putting any real pressure on OSU.
In the 27th minute, Ohio State sent in a cross that was headed from the top of the box. The header went to an unguarded Buckeye positioned deeper in the box, who headed it off target and out of bounds. IU was one placed header away from conceding a goal.
Muse wasn’t happy, but that was the last time he had to worry.
One minute later, IU switched gears and went on the attack. Sophomore Spencer Glass was on the left side of the field and opted to cross the ball in the box. Streaking in was Gutman, who headed the ball in stride and found the back of the net.
Gutman fully extended his wingspan in celebration as if saying, “What’s new?” He just netted his ninth goal of the season, and IU cruised to victory.
After last season consisted of a runner-up finish in the National Championship and nothing to show for throughout the journey, IU finally has some hardware to raise. But, it’s not the ultimate goal. Again, it’s just step one of three.
The second step will be winning the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Nov. 4, and the third step, of course, will be the National Championship victory, which won’t be until Dec. 9.
Going three for three is definitely possible, especially after what the Hoosiers showed Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio.
Although it was nowhere near their best performance, the Hoosiers continued to show how effective their different lineups are.
Most notable was when Coach Todd Yeagley put in Glass and junior Jordan Kleyn on the backline, moving up Gutman and senior Rece Buckmaster.
“It’s a really nice option as a coach,” Yeagley said. “We have so many moves to solve different types of game situations, and the guys know all the roles.”
It’s a perfect example of the versatility this IU team has, and it has been on display all year long. Ohio State was just the most recent victim.
Michigan State will be the next Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Then, it will be whoever they encounter in the postseason.
Wednesday was filled with celebration on the cold 42-degree night. The entire roster, all the coaches and all family members and friends in attendance were smiling.
That celebration will soon turn to determination. The Hoosiers are just 33 percent done.
