Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: Amid Elite Eight Defeat, This Is Clear: IU Will Be Back
12/3/2023 1:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – This isn't the end. Not even close. Indiana's soccer juggernaut will roll on, move on, win often, win big.
The pain from Saturday night's 5-4 penalty shootout, Elite Eight loss to No. 2 national seed Notre Dame (12-2-6) will diminish, the training will resume, the championship quest will renew.
This much we know.
For now, though, it hurts. Losing always does, especially if you're fierce competitors, as Joey Maher is, as Hugo Bacharch, Jansen Miller, JT Harms, Maouloune Goumballe, Brett Bebej, Tommy Mihalic, Collins Oduro, Karsen Henderlong, Alex Barger and Patrick McDonald are, as Todd Yeagley is.
A season ends, but opportunity doesn't. For some, pro possibilities loom. For others, a career beyond soccer is coming. And for the returning Hoosiers (15-4-5), there's the understanding that this disappointment -- technically, it's considered a tie in the world of college soccer -- could lead to that elusive ninth national title that has been so tantalizingly close since the last Cream 'n Crimson championship in 2012.
"There are bigger days ahead of them," Yeagley says, "whether it's in sport, or in life."
This senior class did everything but win a national title. It finished with a 71-20-17 record over five seasons. It reached the Sweet Sixteen or better every year, made two College Cups, had one national runner-up finish and won Big Ten regular season and conference tourney championships.
"What these seniors have done is amazing," Yeagley says.
That's especially impressive given parity dominates college soccer as never before. That IU continues to thrive this way is a testament to coaches, players and culture.
"We've had multiple back-to-back champions," Yeagley says. "We've had teams that have gone to multiple Final Fours.
"But to do it in this day and age, it's not as easy as it would have been years ago. To keep this program at the pinnacle, that's what I'll remember."
On Saturday night at Notre Dame's Alumni Stadium, in front of a raucous sell-out crowd of 3,108 that included plenty of Cream and Crimson fans, IU trailed 1-0 at halftime, then tied on McDonald's blistering shot that no goalkeeper in America could have stopped.
The Hoosiers pushed a fierce offensive pace against one of the nation's best defense, generating 25 shots and 10 corner kicks to the Irish's 11 and one. For most of the game, they dictated play.
"Man, our guys made plays," Yeagley said. "They did everything but put one more kick in the back of the net. They left everything out there."
Yes, PK shootouts remain IU's kryptonite (think of last season's 7-6 national title game heartbreaker to Syracuse, among others; it's last five season-ending losses have come in overtime), but all you can do is keep believing, keep pushing, keep driving until ultimate success comes.
And it will come. If you understand why the Hoosiers have thrived for more than half a century in the sport, you know that.
A slow start to the season that spurred talk of being the first IU team since the 1980s to not make the NCAA tourney ratcheted up the pressure. These players handled it. They came to Indiana to handle it. The result was one of the most special seasons of Yeagley's coaching career.
"They just put one foot in front of the other," he says.
"We improved in all the little areas that were holding us back. Guys played better. We made a couple of adjustments with our lineup.
"There wasn't any magic piece to it. There was great belief. When you have that, when you have guys who don't quit, they keep going, keep believing.
"They weren't thinking about what's at the end of the rainbow. They're thinking about the next game. That took a lot of focus because it's easy to get distracted."
In a wet and dreary aftermath, Yeagley spoke of staying in the moment, that he doesn't spend time looking in the mirror to see what's behind him and the Hoosiers, but what's immediately in front.
Many starters and role players will return, plus key reserves and others. Yeagley will bring in another outstanding newcomer class. The Hoosiers will once again be national title contenders.
"You think about what's next," he says. "You get ready for the next thing and then the next thing. You make sure these guys are supported. Then you get after it again. That's all you can do. That's why sports are so amazing. You get a lot of life lessons."
In the emotional moments after the game, Yeagley talked to Maher, whose penalty attempt hit the bottom of the goal post. The other nine attempts were made.
"There were some tears," Yeagley says. "Joey cares, as much as you can care. You can max out the care factor and the love and the effort. He's high end. High end. One of the highest I've ever had.
"It tears you apart. It feels like someone has pulled your heart out."
Yeagley knows the feeling. He lost his last college game, a 1-0 heartbreaker to Virginia in the 1994 national title game that still hurts three decades later.
"We wouldn't have been here without him," he says.
And so the pain will diminish, the training will resume, the championship quest will renew.
This much we know.
IUHoosiers.com
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – This isn't the end. Not even close. Indiana's soccer juggernaut will roll on, move on, win often, win big.
The pain from Saturday night's 5-4 penalty shootout, Elite Eight loss to No. 2 national seed Notre Dame (12-2-6) will diminish, the training will resume, the championship quest will renew.
This much we know.
For now, though, it hurts. Losing always does, especially if you're fierce competitors, as Joey Maher is, as Hugo Bacharch, Jansen Miller, JT Harms, Maouloune Goumballe, Brett Bebej, Tommy Mihalic, Collins Oduro, Karsen Henderlong, Alex Barger and Patrick McDonald are, as Todd Yeagley is.
A season ends, but opportunity doesn't. For some, pro possibilities loom. For others, a career beyond soccer is coming. And for the returning Hoosiers (15-4-5), there's the understanding that this disappointment -- technically, it's considered a tie in the world of college soccer -- could lead to that elusive ninth national title that has been so tantalizingly close since the last Cream 'n Crimson championship in 2012.
"There are bigger days ahead of them," Yeagley says, "whether it's in sport, or in life."
This senior class did everything but win a national title. It finished with a 71-20-17 record over five seasons. It reached the Sweet Sixteen or better every year, made two College Cups, had one national runner-up finish and won Big Ten regular season and conference tourney championships.
"What these seniors have done is amazing," Yeagley says.
That's especially impressive given parity dominates college soccer as never before. That IU continues to thrive this way is a testament to coaches, players and culture.
"We've had multiple back-to-back champions," Yeagley says. "We've had teams that have gone to multiple Final Fours.
"But to do it in this day and age, it's not as easy as it would have been years ago. To keep this program at the pinnacle, that's what I'll remember."
On Saturday night at Notre Dame's Alumni Stadium, in front of a raucous sell-out crowd of 3,108 that included plenty of Cream and Crimson fans, IU trailed 1-0 at halftime, then tied on McDonald's blistering shot that no goalkeeper in America could have stopped.
The Hoosiers pushed a fierce offensive pace against one of the nation's best defense, generating 25 shots and 10 corner kicks to the Irish's 11 and one. For most of the game, they dictated play.
"Man, our guys made plays," Yeagley said. "They did everything but put one more kick in the back of the net. They left everything out there."
Yes, PK shootouts remain IU's kryptonite (think of last season's 7-6 national title game heartbreaker to Syracuse, among others; it's last five season-ending losses have come in overtime), but all you can do is keep believing, keep pushing, keep driving until ultimate success comes.
And it will come. If you understand why the Hoosiers have thrived for more than half a century in the sport, you know that.
A slow start to the season that spurred talk of being the first IU team since the 1980s to not make the NCAA tourney ratcheted up the pressure. These players handled it. They came to Indiana to handle it. The result was one of the most special seasons of Yeagley's coaching career.
"They just put one foot in front of the other," he says.
"We improved in all the little areas that were holding us back. Guys played better. We made a couple of adjustments with our lineup.
"There wasn't any magic piece to it. There was great belief. When you have that, when you have guys who don't quit, they keep going, keep believing.
"They weren't thinking about what's at the end of the rainbow. They're thinking about the next game. That took a lot of focus because it's easy to get distracted."
In a wet and dreary aftermath, Yeagley spoke of staying in the moment, that he doesn't spend time looking in the mirror to see what's behind him and the Hoosiers, but what's immediately in front.
Many starters and role players will return, plus key reserves and others. Yeagley will bring in another outstanding newcomer class. The Hoosiers will once again be national title contenders.
"You think about what's next," he says. "You get ready for the next thing and then the next thing. You make sure these guys are supported. Then you get after it again. That's all you can do. That's why sports are so amazing. You get a lot of life lessons."
In the emotional moments after the game, Yeagley talked to Maher, whose penalty attempt hit the bottom of the goal post. The other nine attempts were made.
"There were some tears," Yeagley says. "Joey cares, as much as you can care. You can max out the care factor and the love and the effort. He's high end. High end. One of the highest I've ever had.
"It tears you apart. It feels like someone has pulled your heart out."
Yeagley knows the feeling. He lost his last college game, a 1-0 heartbreaker to Virginia in the 1994 national title game that still hurts three decades later.
"We wouldn't have been here without him," he says.
And so the pain will diminish, the training will resume, the championship quest will renew.
This much we know.
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
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