In Indiana men’s soccer’s toughest stretch of the season, it’s safe to say the Hoosiers answered some previously pressing questions.
Head coach Todd Yeagley’s squad drew No. 4 Ohio State on the road on Sept. 27 before traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, four days later and topping the No. 8 Badgers 3-2. Most recently, Indiana shared points with Washington in a 2-2 draw on Oct. 4 to move the Hoosiers to fourth in the Big Ten with eight points in five conference matches.
Now, Indiana takes a brief break from the Big Ten slate in a clash with the University of Kentucky on Tuesday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium. With the attack finally capitalizing off the chances it's been creating throughout the season, the Hoosiers will look to earn their second nonconference win before plunging into the final five Big Ten matches of the regular season.
Goal tally not a concern for backline
On the surface, it’s easy to question how effective Indiana’s backline was over the last three matches. The unit conceded six goals across that span and hasn’t held a held clean sheet since Sept. 13 against Rutgers.
The Hoosiers’ 15 goals allowed this season rank third worst in the Big Ten behind Rutgers (19) and Penn State (22). The tally itself is perhaps unsurprising given the personnel overhaul this past offseason. Following a First-Team All-Big Ten nod in his senior season, Joey Maher transferred to Saint Louis University to utilize his final year of college eligibility.
Fullback Brett Bebej graduated, leaving another question mark in front of fifth-year senior goalkeeper JT Harms. But with the additions of freshman Josh Maher –– Joey’s younger brother –– and junior Quinton Elliot, a University of Louisville transfer, there were answers.
Maher has forged a strong center back partnership with fifth-year senior Jansen Miller, and Elliot netted a brace against Washington. The goals allowed are a concrete and irrefutable figure, but they don’t necessarily tell the entire story.
“We’re not giving up a lot,” Yeagley said. “If we were giving up a lot of chances, I would be more worried about that.”
Despite the 47 combined shots given up in the last three games, and 22 on target, it’s difficult to find more than a couple truly threatening chances for Indiana’s opponents in each contest. Miller’s speed paired with Maher’s positional awareness and savvy have considerably limited opportunities for opposing teams to attack centrally.
And on the outside, Elliot and sophomore Alex Barger have mostly thwarted speedy wingers from creating chances off crosses. Still, as Indiana’s attack continues to resolve its early season struggles and find the back of the net consistently, the backline will be relied on to match those efforts.
Meet the Wildcats
Following a win over Oral Roberts University to kick off the season Aug. 22, Kentucky didn’t notch another victory until Oct. 4 against the University of South Carolina. The stretch between seems underwhelming, but like the Hoosiers, the Wildcats were heavily challenged by their schedule.
Kentucky faced three ranked sides in that span, losing 1-0 to then-No. 10 Wisconsin and No. 15 University of Louisville before drawing then-No. 6 West Virginia University. Heading into Tuesday night’s match, the Wildcats check in at No. 27 in the NCAA Men’s Soccer RPI as a product of their taxing slate.
Similar to Indiana last month, Kentucky struggles mightily to score. The Wildcats ––– led by senior forward Logan Dorsey and sophomore forward Isaiah Chisolm ––– rank second worst in the Sun Belt Conference with nine total goals this season.
Conversely, however, Kentucky’s eight goals allowed are the third best mark in the conference. A recent goalkeeper change seems to have played a factor. Junior Casper Mols started the Wildcats’ first five matches of the year, giving up eight goals and registering just a .714 save percentage.
In the three games since, junior Ryan Jack has yet to concede a goal and garnered Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors Oct. 1. For Indiana’s attack, which enters Tuesday night with plenty of momentum, testing Jack will be crucial.
The match is slated to kick off at 7 p.m. Tuesday and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
