Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: IU Manages Marshall, Moment in Sweet 16 Win
11/27/2022 10:35:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Hesitate? Not Brett Bebej. Not with Ryan Wittenbrink lining up a corner kick amid opportunity as big as an Elite 8 dream.
Wittenbrink, a dominant offensive force over the last month, delivered a perfect far-post corner kick two minutes into Sunday night's Sweet 16 second half. Bebej leaped to meet it, heading it into the net before Marshall's defense reacted.
Forty-three minutes remained, but the way IU was playing, it might as well have been 430.
The No. 13-seeded Hoosiers (12-4-6) won 1-0 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the 28th time, extending their NCAA tourney record. They will play next Saturday at No. 12-seed UNC Greensboro, who defeated No. 5 Stanford Sunday night in a penalty shootout. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.
"It's amazing what this program has done," coach Todd Yeagley said, "To have made it 28 times is incredible, but it feels like your first. That's how excited I am for the team. You just want more."
IU's last home game was a Bill Armstrong Stadium memory maker, and Bebej earned the biggest of all. The senior had totaled two goals from his six previous season shots. As a defender, scoring chances came infrequently, but they did come. His five career goals entering Sunday night proved that.
Yeagley and his staff saw a strong Marshall defense that had only allowed 13 goals all season but had shown restart vulnerability.
They exploited it.
"Coach put me back in back of the box," Bebej said. "I saw the ball in there. It was free, so I attacked it. I got lucky and put it away.
"It was one of the greatest moments of my career."
It came, Yeagley said, because of a player-suggested halftime adjustment.
"The guys took ownership," Yeagley said. "They said, 'Hey why don't we look for this?' So, we changed our runs and got the corner.
"That's when you love it, when guys are solving things."
A night as dreary as an Edgar Allen Poe story offered 40-degree temperatures, a lightly blowing mist and enough physical play to send multiple players to the turf in need of brief trainer attention.
No matter. The victory gave IU a final home record of 9-1-3. The only loss came to top-ranked Kentucky, which was upset by Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
"This was for the seniors," junior defender Joey Maher said. "To do this with them was a cool moment. I'm glad we were able to help with that."
Marshall (11-4-4) was unseeded, but impressive enough to earn a No. 8 ranking from Top Drawer Soccer. It thrived with 11 international players, nine as starters. It had four players with at least 13 points, and a 10-goal scorer in Matthew Bell. It had upset No. 4-seed Virginia a week earlier.
IU handled it. Marshall took 12 shots (two more than IU), but only two were on goal.
"It's 11 men defending and working together," Maher said. "We were consistent with that and limited their opportunities."
Added Yeagley: "I'm proud of this team from the execution of what we wanted to do. I've talked about great defense sets up good attacks, but our attacking movement and play in the final third was really good.
"Marshall is a good team. We were sharp. Our defending was critical. You have to have a well-disciplined and well-executed plan to handle that type of team."
Let others draw comparisons to the teams' only other meeting -- the 2021 national title game thriller Marshall won in overtime. These Hoosiers focused on the present rather than the past, on opportunity rather than revenge.
"In the big picture," Maher said, "we have to look at it as one game at a time. Emotionally, we were intact."
Still, payback was sweet.
"It was one of my greatest wins at IU," Bebej said.
Indiana pressured right from the start. Forward Samuel Sarver was just wide on a shot 90 seconds into the match The Hoosiers had three corner kicks in the first 11 minutes, five after 15.
Marshall countered with its own control-possession moments. That led to four shots, none that required a save.
A flurry nearly resulted in a Hoosier goal midway through the first half. As the clocked ticked under five minutes, IU went on full attack.
Wittenbrink took a shot that Marshall goalkeeper Oliver Semmle deflected. A minute later, forward Tommy Mihalic took one of his own, quickly followed by a forward Herbert Endeley cross.
The Hoosiers finished the half with five shots, two on goal, and 10 corner kicks.
Bebej needed less than two second-half minutes to give IU the lead. Marshall attacked in response. One flurry in front of the Hoosier goal resulted in two shots, but no goal. A Thundering Herd break-away ended with an off-target shot.
The clock ticked under 20 minutes, under 10, under five. The Hoosiers defended without sacrificing press-forward opportunities.
Marshall had no answer.
"They couldn't get the ball out of their end," Maher said. "That's something you don't see in that situation – (IU forwards') willingness and desire to do whatever it takes."
As a result, IU's quest for a ninth national title continues. First, though, there's the Elite 8.
"Elite Eights are special games," Yeagley said. "There's nothing else like it."
Added Bebej: "The team is ready for the next challenge."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Hesitate? Not Brett Bebej. Not with Ryan Wittenbrink lining up a corner kick amid opportunity as big as an Elite 8 dream.
Wittenbrink, a dominant offensive force over the last month, delivered a perfect far-post corner kick two minutes into Sunday night's Sweet 16 second half. Bebej leaped to meet it, heading it into the net before Marshall's defense reacted.
Forty-three minutes remained, but the way IU was playing, it might as well have been 430.
The No. 13-seeded Hoosiers (12-4-6) won 1-0 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the 28th time, extending their NCAA tourney record. They will play next Saturday at No. 12-seed UNC Greensboro, who defeated No. 5 Stanford Sunday night in a penalty shootout. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.
"It's amazing what this program has done," coach Todd Yeagley said, "To have made it 28 times is incredible, but it feels like your first. That's how excited I am for the team. You just want more."
IU's last home game was a Bill Armstrong Stadium memory maker, and Bebej earned the biggest of all. The senior had totaled two goals from his six previous season shots. As a defender, scoring chances came infrequently, but they did come. His five career goals entering Sunday night proved that.
Yeagley and his staff saw a strong Marshall defense that had only allowed 13 goals all season but had shown restart vulnerability.
They exploited it.
"Coach put me back in back of the box," Bebej said. "I saw the ball in there. It was free, so I attacked it. I got lucky and put it away.
"It was one of the greatest moments of my career."
It came, Yeagley said, because of a player-suggested halftime adjustment.
"The guys took ownership," Yeagley said. "They said, 'Hey why don't we look for this?' So, we changed our runs and got the corner.
"That's when you love it, when guys are solving things."
A night as dreary as an Edgar Allen Poe story offered 40-degree temperatures, a lightly blowing mist and enough physical play to send multiple players to the turf in need of brief trainer attention.
No matter. The victory gave IU a final home record of 9-1-3. The only loss came to top-ranked Kentucky, which was upset by Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
"This was for the seniors," junior defender Joey Maher said. "To do this with them was a cool moment. I'm glad we were able to help with that."
Marshall (11-4-4) was unseeded, but impressive enough to earn a No. 8 ranking from Top Drawer Soccer. It thrived with 11 international players, nine as starters. It had four players with at least 13 points, and a 10-goal scorer in Matthew Bell. It had upset No. 4-seed Virginia a week earlier.
IU handled it. Marshall took 12 shots (two more than IU), but only two were on goal.
"It's 11 men defending and working together," Maher said. "We were consistent with that and limited their opportunities."
Added Yeagley: "I'm proud of this team from the execution of what we wanted to do. I've talked about great defense sets up good attacks, but our attacking movement and play in the final third was really good.
"Marshall is a good team. We were sharp. Our defending was critical. You have to have a well-disciplined and well-executed plan to handle that type of team."
Let others draw comparisons to the teams' only other meeting -- the 2021 national title game thriller Marshall won in overtime. These Hoosiers focused on the present rather than the past, on opportunity rather than revenge.
"In the big picture," Maher said, "we have to look at it as one game at a time. Emotionally, we were intact."
Still, payback was sweet.
"It was one of my greatest wins at IU," Bebej said.
Indiana pressured right from the start. Forward Samuel Sarver was just wide on a shot 90 seconds into the match The Hoosiers had three corner kicks in the first 11 minutes, five after 15.
Marshall countered with its own control-possession moments. That led to four shots, none that required a save.
A flurry nearly resulted in a Hoosier goal midway through the first half. As the clocked ticked under five minutes, IU went on full attack.
Wittenbrink took a shot that Marshall goalkeeper Oliver Semmle deflected. A minute later, forward Tommy Mihalic took one of his own, quickly followed by a forward Herbert Endeley cross.
The Hoosiers finished the half with five shots, two on goal, and 10 corner kicks.
Bebej needed less than two second-half minutes to give IU the lead. Marshall attacked in response. One flurry in front of the Hoosier goal resulted in two shots, but no goal. A Thundering Herd break-away ended with an off-target shot.
The clock ticked under 20 minutes, under 10, under five. The Hoosiers defended without sacrificing press-forward opportunities.
Marshall had no answer.
"They couldn't get the ball out of their end," Maher said. "That's something you don't see in that situation – (IU forwards') willingness and desire to do whatever it takes."
As a result, IU's quest for a ninth national title continues. First, though, there's the Elite 8.
"Elite Eights are special games," Yeagley said. "There's nothing else like it."
Added Bebej: "The team is ready for the next challenge."
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
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