With a share of the Big Ten regular season title locked up following No. 16 Indiana men’s soccer’s thumping of Northwestern on Oct. 29, the Hoosiers turn to their regular season finale against Trine University on Friday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Because Trine plays in Division III, the result of the matchup won’t impact Indiana’s standing in the RPI rankings. This is the fourth consecutive season head coach Todd Yeagley has scheduled the Thunder in the Hoosiers’ final match of the year, and he’s typically opted to rotate minutes for the squad’s reserves.
Yeagley said after the win over Northwestern he wasn’t sure how many regular starters would play against Trine, but he cited the importance of playing time for those who haven’t seen much all season.
“These guys work their tails off, and they don’t get the spotlight,” Yeagley said. “To be on the field and get a chance to perform is great.”
Indiana will also celebrate senior night against Trine, honoring nine players in a pregame ceremony. Goalkeeper JT Harms, defender Jansen Miller, midfielder Patrick McDonald and forwards Sam Sarver and Tommy Mihalic all contributed heavily for the Hoosiers en route to a 2022 NCAA National Championship appearance, and they’ve been crucial pieces of two Big Ten regular season titles since.
While the result of Friday’s match doesn’t bear much importance, Indiana will be looking to keep a couple streaks alive. The Hoosiers are riding a six-match winning streak and nine-match unbeaten streak, with their last loss coming Sept. 21 to Maryland.
Indiana’s scored at least two goals in every match of that span, marking the program’s longest run of multi-goal games since 1997. The uptick in scoring can partially be attributed to graduate student forward Justin Weiss, who, after failing to score in the first 11 matches of the season, has found the back of the net six times in the last four games.
Mihalic’s resurgence too has been key for Indiana’s attack. After scoring just two goals last season, Mihalic has notched a career-high 10 in 2024, currently leading both the team and the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers already boast nine different goal scorers, and with the starters not expected to play much, they could realistically add to that total. Friday night’s match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten+.
Wait and See
Although Indiana already secured a share of its 19th Big Ten regular season championship, it still has a chance to win it outright. The Hoosiers lead the conference with 23 points, and No. 1 Ohio State sits in second with 20.
The Buckeyes face Maryland at 1 p.m. Sunday, and Indiana will be keeping an extremely close eye. If Ohio State draws or loses, the Hoosiers will be guaranteed the outright conference crown and a No. 1 seed for next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.
The top seed earns an automatic bid to the semifinals, playing their first game on Nov. 10 instead of Nov. 7. Both semifinal matches will be played at SeatGeek Stadium, the home of National Women’s Soccer League Chicago Red Stars, and the tournament final will be played at the school of the highest remaining seed.
Indiana will certainly be hoping its able to return to Bill Armstrong Stadium and earn a second-straight Big Ten Tournament title in front of its home crowd.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
