Todd Yeagley’s been around long enough to not panic.
Indiana men’s soccer’s 2-0 loss to the University of Dayton on Monday at Bill Armstrong Stadium — which dropped the Hoosiers to 1-2-2 on the season — didn’t change that. In Yeagley’s 15th season at the helm, his squad maintains questions surrounding its goal scoring and half-to-half consistency.
But he certainly remembers the outset of last season. Through five games in 2023, Indiana capped a 2-1-1 start with an unexpected defeat to the University of South Florida. The Hoosiers went on to win the Big Ten Double and make an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance.
Now, Indiana finds itself miring in a similar spot. It’s nothing Yeagley hasn’t seen.
“I don’t have any big picture concerns at this point,” Yeagley said postgame. “Five more games, if we don’t get results, then that’s a different story.”
The Flyers asserted their pace and physicality from the starting whistle, creeping closer and closer to the back of the net until sophomore midfielder Martin Bakken found it in the 18th minute. Through 45 minutes, Indiana appeared fortunate to only be trailing 1-0.
Yeagley said the Hoosiers “wasted” the first half. While they compiled plenty of dangerous chances in the second — registering a 12-4 shots advantage — the equalizer never came. Senior forward Tommy Mihalic subbed on for freshman center back Josh Maher with less than 10 minutes remaining, leaving a three-man Indiana backline immensely vulnerable.
Dayton capitalized, and Bakken whirled past senior goalkeeper JT Harms on a counterattack to net his second goal of the match and seal the Hoosiers’ fate.
GOAL #2 FOR BAKKEN! The Flyers lead 2-0 with the sophomore striker securing the brace with just over two minutes to go. #UDMSOC // #GoFlyers pic.twitter.com/UTIWdYPxDY
— Dayton Men’s Soccer (@DaytonMSoccer) September 10, 2024
“We took a risk at the end,” Yeagley said. “That’s my goal. I took a huge risk trying to get one back.”
Last week against Butler University, the Hoosiers’ sharp first half was negated by a haphazard second, leading to a 1-1 draw. Save the 2-0 win over Yale University on Sept. 1, Indiana’s inconsistencies have been marked.
In its season-opener against Saint Louis University on Aug. 23, Indiana looked lethargic in a 2-0 defeat. Even in a tie with then No. 8 University of Notre Dame on Aug. 29, which saw the Hoosiers blitz the Fighting Irish for a pair of goals in 35 seconds, Indiana was thoroughly outplayed in the first half.
And Monday night, while attackers like senior Sam Sarver, sophomore Clay Murador and freshman Michael Nesci offered bright spots, the variability of halves persisted.
“It’s just putting together a complete game,” fifth-year senior defender Jansen Miller said.
Miller remembers last season’s bumpy start, and rapid turnaround, well. He said Yeagley views conference play as a season of its own, and Indiana dips into it Friday night against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey.
The first five games may prove to be too small a sample size to properly evaluate the Hoosiers’ mettle. It’s a bit early to tell. Miller understands there’s an array of opportunities lying ahead.
“Nobody’s won a Big Ten Tournament game,” Miller said. “No one’s seeded themselves. We have everything to play for still. These games aren’t going to affect how we do.”
Still, despite not citing any concerns for Indiana down the line, Yeagley mentioned the difficulty of replacing some of the squad’s leaders from last season. Joey Maher, a former stalwart on the Hoosiers’ backline, transferred to Saint Louis for his fifth season.
“Swiss army knife” Brett Bebej and feisty forward Maouloune Goumballe both graduated. Junior defender Quinton Elliot transferred from the University of Louisville to fill in for Bebej, and Indiana brought in graduate forward Justin Weiss from Northwestern for veteran savvy and goal scoring.
Despite the additions, something’s been missing.
“They had a physicality and a relentlessness to them,” Yeagley said of the departed players. “First half, I think one of those guys would have helped us.”
Now, like last season, the results from the nonconference slate leave Indiana with less margin for error against Big Ten opponents. Yeagley said Weiss is expected to return Friday night after missing a pair of games due to a calf injury suffered against Yale, which should help bolster the Hoosiers’ attack.
It remains to be seen if the first five games are indicative of Indiana’s talent level, or simply an extended anomaly. Yeagley seems to think the latter.
“I’m pretty bullish on this team,” Yeagley said. “It’s not panic time, certainly for me.”
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
