For the 10th time in the last 11 seasons, Indiana men’s soccer earned a national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The committee announced Tuesday the Hoosiers clinched the No. 14 seed, guaranteeing a first-round bye and second-round match at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
It’s nothing new for head coach Todd Yeagley. From his years starring as a player, and now in his 15th season at the helm, Indiana’s tournament success has dwarfed other schools. He guided the Hoosiers to their eighth national title in 2012 –– the most in the nation dating back to 1973 –– and has fallen painstakingly close three times since.
So, when Indiana was dubbed “Title Town” during the tournament selection show broadcast, Yeagley couldn’t help but feel excited.
“That’s what you love to hear,” Yeagley said Tuesday afternoon. “That brought a smile to my face.”
Despite falling to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 7, Indiana’s regular season resume proved worthy of a national seed. The Hoosiers shared the conference crown with Ohio State, who earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Two of Indiana’s nonconference losses –– the University of Dayton and Saint Louis University –– earned spots in the tournament, and four Big Ten teams not including the Hoosiers or Buckeyes clinched a berth.
Indiana won its last seven matches of the season and boasted an unbeaten streak that extended to Sept. 21. Earning a 38th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament wasn’t truly in question.
But with an RPI of No. 18 last week, the Hoosiers rested just outside the field of potential seeded teams. Given Indiana’s vast tournament success in recent years, along with its dominance through conference play, there was enough evidence to give Yeagley’s squad the benefit of the doubt.
“We’ve demonstrated our ability to go far in the tournament,” Yeagley said. “The committee has rewarded our program when it’s tight, and we’ve been able to deliver.”
Now, Indiana awaits the winner of the University of Akron and Princeton University to determine its second-round matchup, which will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday in Bloomington.
Yeagley said the staff is dividing film analysis of both Akron and Princeton in preparation for Sunday, but that doesn’t mean he’s peeking ahead. He learned valuable lessons from the early stretches of the season in terms of remaining steady and fostering collective belief.
Before the Hoosiers’ drastic October turnaround, their nonconference performances prompted concerns.
“I was very tough in some moments,” Yeagley said. “It wasn’t just Kumbaya the whole time.”
But after a 2-2 draw with Ohio State on the road sparked a near-perfect final month of the season, it was a different story.
“When we had some good results, I wanted them to enjoy those,” Yeagley said. “Ride the wave –– ride it, feel it... I like riding the highs a little bit.”
More so than in recent seasons, Yeagley’s been a consistently fiery presence on Indiana’s sideline. Though typically stoic, he said this year’s team “needed” to feel his emotion. After the Hoosiers’ 3-2 win over the University of Kentucky on Oct. 8, the first of seven consecutive victories, Yeagley walked around the locker room imitating a boxer.
The frustration of early-season goal scoring struggles transformed to palpable joy. Senior forward Tommy Mihalic benefitted, scoring a career-high 10 goals and earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Graduate forward Justin Weiss did, too, netting six goals in the final four matches of the regular season after going 11 games without a goal. The loss to Michigan didn’t dissolve that joy.
Yeagley said the team played a “fun” scrimmage last week and can increase the intensity of training sessions over the next few days before their opponent is decided. Now, Indiana enters a completely clean slate.
The only focus that remains is capturing an elusive ninth national title.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
