Indiana men’s soccer looks to bounce back from a two-game winless streak against in-state rival Butler University on Sept. 19 at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The Hoosiers come from a 1-0 loss against the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, and a scoreless tie against Big Ten rival Wisconsin.
This season, Indiana has struggled offensively, scoring only four goals in six games so far and getting shut out in three of them. However, the Hoosiers average 16 shots per game despite the scoring drought. Defensively, Indiana has allowed only three goals so far this season.
“[Wisconsin] didn’t pose much of a threat, and they have some good attackers, so I am pleased with our individual team defending,” Yeagley said. “I thought that was a good performance.”
Against the Bulldogs, the Hoosiers won four of the last five meetings and are 25-5 overall. At home, Indiana has won 13 of the 18 encounters and averages 2.2 goals per game against Butler.
“Just continue to work on the videos to see where the disconnection is at times and build their confidence,” head coach Todd Yeagley said in a post-game interview about pre-game corrections against Butler.
On the other side, senior goalkeeper Caleb Norris is averaging 6.6 saves per game so far this season, which places him fourth nationally in saves per game. Against Villanova University, Norris made a career-high 11 saves, ensuring the win for the Bulldogs on Sept. 15.
Butler was on a four-game winless streak before the 2-1 win over Villanova. The Bulldogs also have four goals in six games but conceded seven goals in the same stretch.
Despite the collective rough stretch, Bulldogs’ sophomore forward Palmer Ault has impressed this season. Ault has scored all four goals for Butler this season, including a brace against Villanova.
The cream and crimson rely on freshman forward Collins Oduro and junior forward Sarver to find the back of the net. Oduro has two goals and Sarver has a goal and two assists this season.
Indiana now seeks to improve its 2-2-2 record against Butler before a two-game stretch against Big Ten opponents in Michigan State and Michigan.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The match will be streaming live on Big Ten+.
