When the moment fell to Charlie Heuer, he delivered. Not once, but twice.
The freshman midfielder had not appeared for Indiana men’s soccer since its match against Butler University on Sept. 4. And while he acknowledged the extended stint on the bench was “frustrating,” nothing was frustrating about Indiana’s 2-0 win over Penn State at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Friday night.
“When you get your opportunity, you’ve got to make the most of it,” Heuer said postgame. “I was fortunate that the guys helped me score two goals and we could get the win tonight.”
Heuer's goals marked the first two of his collegiate career in only his third appearance. The win extended Indiana’s unbeaten streak to five games, while also earning its first stretch of back-to-back wins on the season.
But for the entirety of the first half, Indiana remained tied with Penn State. The Nittany Lions grabbed the first chance of the game in the seventh minute through sophomore midfielder Caden Grabfelder, whose shot smashed off the post, but otherwise, the match proceeded with few chances for either side in a cagey affair.
“This game was probably the slowest ... (in) breaking down a team,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “It took us a little to get into the game. I thought our urgency in the first half was a little slow.”
Then came Yeagley’s substitutions — more specifically, sophomore midfielder Clay Murador.
Friday marked Murador’s second consecutive appearance from the bench, ending a spell without game time dating back to Sept. 17 against the University of Evansville. His presence provided the urgency for Indiana immediately, taking only five minutes after his substitution to score an offside finish that Yeagley was certain was onsides.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s tough,” Yeagley said. “We have a different view than they have that we wish they could use.”
Even still, the change sparked energy into the Indiana squad — energy it would never relinquish for the rest of the match.
The best representation of this rejuvenation was Indiana’s backline, led by the center back pairing of fifth-year senior Jansen Miller and freshman Josh Maher. Yeagley has previously highlighted the standout play of both his veteran and youngster, but the results never seemed to reflect the performance.
That was until Friday night, when the Indiana defense limited Penn State to zero shots on target and only one clear opportunity, which was Grabfelder’s shot in the seventh minute. Senior midfielder Patrick McDonald was quick to credit the positive play from his two center backs postgame.
“Jansen and Josh have been holding it down all year,” McDonald said. “I feel like a lot of games ... we’ve been behind (but) came back (and taken) the lead, but I think we’ve been solid all season, and it’s finally starting to show up now with the clean sheet.”
However, even with the stout defensive play, the Hoosiers were still without a goal. Through the first eight games of the season, this was an issue the squad consistently faced — earning quality performances but failing to capture the points with goals.
The last five matches have told a different story for Indiana, increasing its goal total from seven to 19. Entering Friday, sophomore forward Collins Oduro, junior defender Quinton Elliot and senior forward Tommy Mihalic had each bagged a brace in the last three matches.
Heuer continued that trend, showcasing Indiana’s newfound ability to get goals from all areas of the field.
“It just shows how much talent we have as a team,” Heuer said. “It could be anyone’s day, any game. I think that’s very encouraging for our team, that anyone can go out and score multiple goals.”
Before entering the match, Yeagley gave the freshman some advice.
“He just said, ‘This is your moment, go make the most of it, go make a play for us,’” Heuer said. “Fortunately, I did.”
Exactly seven minutes after entering the pitch, Heuer broke the deadlock. A long throw in from Elliot and a flick from Maher brought the ball to Heuer, who got just enough contact to trickle his shot past graduate student goalkeeper Andrew Cooke.
Then eight minutes later, Heuer doubled the scoreline with some tight dribbling at the top of the box and a rocket shot to the bottom left corner of the net. Running to the corner flag in celebration, the freshman showcased a euro step and later ended up in the arms of senior forward Sam Sarver, something he can’t entirely recall.
“I didn’t even know what was happening,” Heuer said. “It felt like a dream, I didn’t even know what was going on.”
The victory grants the Hoosiers sole possession of fourth place in the Big Ten, placing them only two points off Ohio State in second place and one point off Michigan State in third. With an unbeaten streak at five games, consecutive wins for the first time in 2024 and a building sense of confidence, it’s hard for Indiana to not look ahead to its clash with Michigan at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Which is exactly what Heuer did when his arrival in the locker room postgame was met with silence.
“Everyone’s just sitting there,” Heuer said, “and I’m like, ‘All right, let’s move on. Tuesday. Michigan.’”
But once the roars emerged and the water sprayed, Heuer couldn’t help but appreciate the moment.
“It was great to celebrate with the team,” Heuer said. “It’s a great team, great locker room, so I’m really happy.”
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
