Tommy Mihalic is a simple man. He wants to score goals.
The senior forward iterated this sentiment after Indiana men’s soccer drew the University of Notre Dame 2-2 on Aug. 29, and he did so again Sunday night after the Hoosiers defeated Yale University 2-0. But his ambition is not for himself — he’s already eclipsed his season total of two from a year ago.
It’s for his team.
“It definitely feels good (to score), but at the end of the day, the win is huge,” Mihalic said postgame. “To get the three points and help the team perform in a big way, it feels good.”
Mihalic’s night began early, as a combination play with graduate student forward Justin Weiss produced a Mihalic shot that barely went over the cross bar. Only 11 minutes later, he was heading to the penalty spot, after freshman forward Michael Nesci pounced on a bad touch and was brought down in the box.
Nesci, a goal scorer in the previous match along with Mihalic, has contributed a spark off the bench to start the season, but with sophomore forward Collins Oduro out with an ankle injury, Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley granted him the start. Mihalic noted the confidence and work rates of the freshman, but he was also quick to acknowledge Nesci’s response to the elevated role.
"You don’t really see that from a freshman, to step in and know what we’re all asked to do,” Mihalic said. “He’s been great for us, and I know he’ll play a huge role in this team.”
After a slight delay for the referee to confirm the decision through video review, Mihalic stepped up and blasted his shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
It took Mihalic until the second half to add to his tally, finishing off a chance set up by fellow senior forward Sam Sarver. After beating his defender head-on, Sarver squared a pass to an open Mihalic just outside the six-yard box. However, Mihalic was not open for long, as three Yale defenders converged on him, but his first-time effort nestled in the bottom left corner of the net.
“When I see Sammy (Sarver) with the ball out wide, I feel pretty confident he’s gonna beat the guy,” Mihalic said. “Big part of the goal was his pass and him beating the guy, so give a lot of credit to Sammy.”
Indiana continued its dominance for the rest of the match, almost playing keep-away from Yale for large stretches of time. Yeagley said the possession was not simply knocking the ball back and forth but was instead “purposeful possession” keeping the tempo of the match, which resulted in shots.
The Hoosiers retention of the ball was evident from the first whistle, and while it helped produce Indiana’s 16 shots, it also kept Yale from any clear opportunities in the match.
Yale’s best chance of the evening fell to the feet of junior forward Aydin Jay, but after cutting the ball back onto his right foot, his attempt was neutralized by a quality save from fifth-year senior JT Harms.
Jay’s shot in the 32nd minute proved to be the only shot on target for the Bulldogs, showcasing the quality performance from Indiana’s backline. Those defenders did suffer a scare when the referee awarded Yale a penalty right before halftime, but the decision was overturned after video review, much to the relief of Yeagley.
“I’m really glad they have the technology to look at the penalties,” Yeagley said. “I love the new reviews because it’s a big decision. Penalties change games, goals change games.”
Through two games, Indiana failed to score the first goal of the match, resulting in attempted comebacks. While the Notre Dame match showed they could complete those comebacks, Mihalic said scoring the first goal against Yale was “massive” for the Hoosiers’ mentality.
“To get (the goal) in the first half was big,” he said. “Just set the tone as early as we can, and it helps the team.”
Maintaining that mentality required the work of bench players in the second half, and no one better encapsulated Indiana’s effort than redshirt sophomore forward Seth Stewart. In his first match of the season, Yeagley said Stewart “set the tone” with his pressing and “relentless” in the attack, earning the match ball for his work.
“We (were) kind of waiting to use him,” Yeagley said. “I thought it was the perfect opportunity. He had a really good performance.”
A win and a draw over the weekend brings Indiana to a 1-1-1 record heading into Wednesday’s in-state rivalry matchup against Butler University in Indianapolis. With the taste of a win still fresh, Mihalic believes the Hoosiers have changed their mindset for the better.
“To get a win now, that’s the expectation,” Mihalic said. “Go out there and fight and do everything we can to win, and we’ll try to do that again Wednesday.”
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly state the title of Yale University.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
