No. 6 Indiana men’s soccer begins a new season Thursday afternoon.
At least, that’s the perspective of head coach Todd Yeagley as he and his squad enter the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan. Its co-Big Ten regular season title, 10-game unbeaten run and seven game winning streak are all in the past.
“Everyone (has a) clean slate,” Yeagley said in a press conference Monday. “This isn’t coach speak — it’s reality.”
The Hoosiers trounced the Wolverines 5-0 on Oct. 15 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but Yeagley iterated this isn’t going to change their approach to the match. He knows it’s added motivation for Michigan, but with the Big Ten Tournament, past results don’t matter.
“It’s a new trophy,” Yeagley said.
Offensive firepower
It's been more than a month since Indiana scored fewer than two goals in a match, dating back to its 1-0 defeat to Maryland on Sept. 20. Since then, the Hoosiers scored 28 goals in eight Big Ten regular season matches, including five against Michigan and six against Northwestern on Oct. 29.
Senior forward Tommy Mihalic netted a team-high and co-Big Ten leading 10 goals in 2024, following a year in which he only scored two. Against Trine University on Nov. 1, he was the only senior to start, contributing two assists in the Hoosiers’ 4-1 victory.
“His mindset was excellent in a game where he could have easily brought down the enthusiasm,” Yeagley said of Mihalic’s performance against Trine. “I thought he approached the game very well, and he is a confident young man.”
Graduate forward Justin Weiss has also recently established himself as an attacking threat for the Hoosiers. After starting the year scoreless through 13 games, Weiss netted six goals through four games before sitting out against Trine. Senior forward Sam Sarver ended the year in form as well, securing three goals and three assists in the final four Big Ten regular season matches.
“I think all of our attackers are in a really nice place with confidence,” Yeagley said. “Now we’re just going to go out and execute and make plays.”
Meet the Wolverines
Michigan’s place in the Big Ten Tournament was up in the air heading into the final matchday of the conference regular season. Either a win or a draw against Wisconsin on Nov. 3 would guarantee their place, but for 89 minutes, the Wolverines trailed 1-0.
However, junior defender Nolan Miller finished off a scramble in the box with only 42 seconds remaining, securing the draw and a seventh-place conference finish for Michigan.
Yeagley noted since Indiana’s 5-0 victory, the Wolverines have changed. Their 2-0 victory over then-No. 2 Maryland best displays that evolution, as well as the comeback result to keep their season alive.
Senior winger Jason Bucknor and graduate midfielder Bryce Blevins led Michigan with five goals in the regular season. Blevins also produced six assists, which came second on the team to graduate forward Beto Soto’s nine.
After conceding five to Indiana, Michigan let in two goals through the next four games. Whether the Wolverines shored up their backline or the Hoosiers’ result was an outlier, Yeagley won’t take much of it into consideration.
“We don’t go back a lot and do the reflection piece,” Yeagley said. “We just don’t like to go there. I’m just focusing on what’s ahead of us and what we can do and how our form is.”
Kickoff between the Hoosiers and Wolverines is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST Thursday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Coverage is available on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
