In an opening-day matchup against the University of Notre Dame, No. 2 Indiana men’s soccer settled for a 1-1 draw on Thursday at Alumni Stadium in its visit to South Bend.
The Hoosiers started their journey for their ninth national title in a matchup against a familiar foe. Given the tight matches in recent history, Notre Dame proved to be as tough as always as they got on the scoresheet first.
Despite Indiana dominating possession and chances in the opening minutes of the match, the Irish opened up the scoring shortly after the hydration break mid-way through the first half. The goal came from a set piece in which Notre Dame senior defender Paddy Burns beat senior goalkeeper JT Harms to a floated ball into the box, leaving the net vacated as the ball slowly found its way into the net.
The Hoosiers responded quickly with a goal from freshman forward Collins Oduro in the 28th minute. Oduro received a short pass from junior forward Sam Sarver, proceeded to accelerate between Notre Dame’s center-backs. He slotted the shot past Notre Dame’s goalkeeper who got a hand to it, but the ball still managed to trickle into the net.
Oduro showed his versatility and technique as he moved across all three areas of the front line throughout the match.
Freshman defender Alex Barger also stood out at left-back despite that not being his natural position. He moved the ball forward both with progressive passes and made important clearances defensively.
The Hoosiers weren’t as dominant in possession in the second half and gave up a couple of good opportunities for the Irish to score. One came early in the half when Irish forward Matthew Roou was through on goal following a quick free-kick, but Harms stood his ground and made the save to keep the game tied. Another scare came in the last seconds of the game when a loose ball fell to the feet of a Notre Dame attacker, who had his shot deflected for a corner. The game then ended in a draw, and both sides left with a point each.
The Hoosiers’ season will continue on Tuesday, Aug. 29 with their home opener against DePaul University next on the schedule. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
Follow reporters Leo Paes (@Leordpaes) and Jovanni Salazar (@jio_duz_it) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
