Over its 49-year history, the Indiana men’s soccer program has distanced itself from mediocrity by constantly building on its winning culture through demanding expectations.
Head coach Todd Yeagley’s pursuit of near-perfection on the pitch — and a ninth national championship — has been most evident in the Hoosiers’ grueling schedule year after year. Appearances in 35 consecutive NCAA Tournaments don’t come from looking ahead to the usual title challengers and emerging threats in the Big Ten. Beforehand, the Hoosiers must test themselves on a national scale.
Though Indiana has yet to play the first official match of its 50th season, the team has learned plenty about itself in three preseason matches against quality opponents.
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The Hoosiers started strong with a 2-1 victory over the DePaul University Blue Demons, but showed signs of weakness in a 1-0 defeat to the No. 25 Bowling Green State University Falcons and a 3-1 loss against the University of Louisville Cardinals.
The exhibition results may not have been up to program standards, but such a substantial amount of action for Indiana’s squad could prove meaningful come time for its early-season fixtures. This season’s edition of the cream and crimson showcases a genuine mix of veteran leadership, young talent and new faces. All will face pressure to gain chemistry and belief in each other quickly.
Major League Soccer snatched cornerstone pieces such as forward Victor Bezerra, defender Spencer Glass and goalkeeper Roman Celentano away from Bloomington over the offseason. Yeagley promptly filled those voids with three significant upperclassmen transfers: senior forward Karsen Henderlong and junior defender Jansen Miller — both Xavier University products — along with junior goalkeeper JT Harms from Duke University.
Preseason play consisted of constant rotations between all 33 players, but the three aforementioned transfers featured over long stretches. For this reason, consistently fluid play was impossible. Still, the Hoosier defense escaped high presses often due to its experience and depth, but the team struggled moving the ball forward from there and lacked attacking ideas, as highlighted by the scoreless loss to Bowling Green and second-half breakdown to Louisville.
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Henderlong got on the scoresheet with the opening goal against Louisville, while Harms made several sprawling saves to help his case for the starting spot between the posts.
Meanwhile, Miller has had time to adjust to the 3-4-3 tactical system that is looking more likely to serve as the Hoosiers’ identity going forward. He has the opportunity to earn the third central defender spot alongside senior defender Daniel Munie and junior defender Joey Maher on the backline, while two wingbacks — key to Yeagley’s approach — will drop back from midfield to cover the flanks when necessary.
It is also yet to be seen how Yeagley decides to maneuver sophomore forwards Tommy Mihalic and Samuel Sarver around Henderlong, a natural striker, in the front third of the formation. Both recorded impressive freshman seasons in 2021-22 and will be looking to take on more responsibility in the Hoosiers’ attacking buildup.
Indiana’s typically stacked regular-season schedule begins with a road matchup against the defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Clemson University Tigers. All of the Hoosiers’ fresh and familiar faces will get the chance to prove themselves against the best at 7 p.m. Friday as the team begins another long quest for College Cup glory.
