Indiana men’s soccer wasted no time in snatching the lead.
It came from a corner kick just five minutes into the match. After bouncing around in the box, the ball landed at the feet of graduate student Justin Weiss, and his tap-in gave Indiana its earliest lead of the season.
The lead was never in jeopardy; Michigan’s pride certainly was.
Two hours and eight minutes later, the final whistle blew as Indiana completed a 5-0 rout of the No. 18 Wolverines at the U-M Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With the Big Ten season winding down, every match seems critical for the Hoosiers, and Tuesday night proved to be no different.
Following Weiss’ goal, Indiana quickly doubled its advantage in the 16th minute through a back post header from redshirt sophomore Breckin Minzey. The goal was Minzey’s first of his collegiate career in only his seventh start.
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley stresses the importance of effective restarts, whether it be corner kicks, throw-ins, or free kicks, and his squad received the message Tuesday night.
A dangerous ball from senior midfielder Patrick McDonald created chaos in the box for Weiss’ goal, the first Hoosier finish directly from a corner this season. Then 11 minutes later, a quick throw routine provided junior defender Quinton Elliot the time to deliver his cross to Minzey’s head.
As the half wore on, the success rate of Indiana’s restarts diminished. But it never proved an issue, as the Hoosiers netted two more goals from long-range efforts before the halftime break.
The first of those finishes was also Weiss’ second of the game, marking the fifth consecutive game an Indiana player scored a brace. Receiving a pass from senior forward Sam Sarver, the Northwestern transfer sharply turned and laced a shot into the back of the net.
Then, just two minutes before the end of the half, Elliot scored the Hoosiers’ fourth. After beginning with the ball in his half of the field, the University of Louisville transfer breezed through the Michigan defense without much defending and rifled a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Indiana finished the half with seven shots and four on goal, all ending up in the back of the net. The Hoosiers’ defense, led by reigning Big Ten Defender of the Week and fifth-year senior Jansen Miller, held Michigan to only two shots.
The remaining 45 minutes featured little game action, except for a Hoosier goal courtesy of freshman forward Michael Nesci. Indiana’s 5-0 thrashing secured its third consecutive win and improved its unbeaten streak to six matches.
RelatedWeiss scores first goals as a Hoosier in Indiana men’s soccer’s drubbing of No. 18 Michigan Before Tuesday night, Weiss was scoreless for 11 games this season.
In their previous three matches, the Hoosiers scored 10 goals through six different goal scorers, a feat Weiss believes is a warning to the rest of the nation.
“It’s a statement to the country that we’re coming,” Weiss said postgame to the Big Ten Network.
Indiana’s unbeaten march through October continues with a bout against Michigan State at 7 p.m., Friday, at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
