Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: Locked In – October Arrives and Here Come the Hoosiers
10/10/2024 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sometimes, if you're Todd Yeagley, you shadow box to send a message, you punch air to fuel your Indiana men's soccer team's victory celebration in its Jerry F. Tardy Center at Bill Armstrong Stadium locker room.
You punch because your team fights, because it battles, because it doesn't concede when a good Kentucky squad and missed offensive opportunities knock it down, not once, but twice, when it seems as if a big game and a promising season are slipping away.
They are not, of course. Not on Tuesday night, not on any night, not for these Hoosiers who once again approach late-season urgency with late-season excellence – a 3-2 comeback victory over the Wildcats from a 2-0 halftime deficit, an unbeaten four-game streak that suggests another title run is coming despite a 4-3-5 record.
"I like this team," says Yeagley, who has had plenty to like during his 15 Hoosier head coaching seasons. "We're having to work a little harder for things. Other teams I've coached, things came a little easier. This time, it's not as easy.
"But they're finding a way and staying in the hunt. They are right in the fight. Nothing is out of our reach. I keep telling them that."
Yeagley reflects on last season, when a 3-3-4 start wound up in an Elite Eight finish. IU shared the Big Ten regular season title with Penn State, then beat the Nittany Lions in the conference tourney championship game.
"Last year was no better example of that," he says. "Halfway through the season, who would have given us a chance to win the Big Ten? Not many.
"Who knows what will happen in the Big Ten or on a national scale this season? If we play like this and have this type of determination and gritty effort, we'll give ourselves a chance to win every game."
Senior forward Tommy Mihalic is all in. He's a dynamic goal scorer who has found his form – his eight goals and 17 points are career highs; only Wisconsin's Dean Boltz, with nine, has scored more goal in the Big Ten this season. Mihalic embraces IU's opportunity in its final six regular season games, starting with Friday's home contest against Penn State.
"This shows we can beat anyone and fight from any position in any game," Mihalic says of the Kentucky comeback. "Being 2-0 down, most teams crumble. We didn't do that.
"It shows our character. At halftime, there was not a head down in the locker room. It's that belief. This is a win that can turn your season around and carry you far. It feels unreal."
Freshman midfielder Michael Nesci shares that feeling. He scored the game-winning goal as a late-game sub up to the challenge.
"With the Hoosier history, it doesn't matter if you're down," he says. "You know there's always that fire behind the Hoosiers and that you will come out with that win."
Knowing requires doing, which starts by tapping into the program's championship tradition – eight national titles, nine national runner-up finishes, five College Cup appearances since 2010. Yeagley saw the halftime deficit as opportunity. He sees a team building for another late-season run.
"The first half was a little bit like our season," he says. "The ball is bouncing around (near the goal), and we can't make a play. I told them (at halftime), we're going to get two or three goals. This will be a moment for the season that we'll look back on."
IU dominated the first half with a 14-3 shot advantage, and still trailed 2-0. A lesser team, having already endured similar frustrations in the previous 11 games, might have conceded.
Instead, the Hoosiers might have defined their season. They finished with those three goals, a 22-4 shot advantage and the sense big things are coming.
"Every season has games that you look back on … I'm very confident we can do some special things this year," Yeagley says. "This could be that game.
"It was an important win we needed, to come back from 2-0 behind and play well. There was no luck into it. It will be a great reflection point and give us a lot of confidence. Every season has that. We might be currently in one, which is cool."
The Hosiers are 2-0-2 in their last four games with a tie against No. 4 Ohio State and a win at No. 8 Wisconsin. Their RPI, a major barometer for NCAA tourney selection if a Big Ten tourney automatic bid isn't won, jumped to No. 37. It doesn't guarantee a bid, but it does improve the chances for a 38th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Consider, over the last four years, IU has thrived in October with a 19-4-6 record.
"We can beat anyone, play with anyone," Mihalic says. "We're really excited for these Big Ten games. A huge part of the season is coming up."
IU's offense is picking up. It's scored 10 goals in its last four games while continuing to outshoot opponents. For the season, the Hoosiers have taken 172 shots to opponents' 126. However, they have only scored 17 goals, the same number they have allowed.
Still …
"I like the way we're playing," Yeagley says. "We're playing well. Even defensively, we're not giving these teams a lot of chances."
IU remains in the Big Ten title hunt, with plenty of work to do. Ohio State and Maryland lead the conference standings with 4-0-1 records and 13 points. Michigan State is next with a 3-2 record and nine points. IU is tied with Penn State with eight points, although the Hoosiers are 2-1-2 in the Big Ten to the Nittany Lions' 2-2-2, 5-5-2 overall.
"They lost some key players from last year," Yeagley says of Penn State. "They're just starting to get their form. They will be tough. We're all playing for a lot. They'll be prepared. It will be a tough match."
These Hoosiers, as so many Cream and Crimson squads before them, seem ready to handle it.
"I told our guys they have to continue to perform and stay locked in," Yeagley says. "They have good focus. They are in a good flow. They know they're in striking distance. There is so much ahead for this team."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sometimes, if you're Todd Yeagley, you shadow box to send a message, you punch air to fuel your Indiana men's soccer team's victory celebration in its Jerry F. Tardy Center at Bill Armstrong Stadium locker room.
You punch because your team fights, because it battles, because it doesn't concede when a good Kentucky squad and missed offensive opportunities knock it down, not once, but twice, when it seems as if a big game and a promising season are slipping away.
They are not, of course. Not on Tuesday night, not on any night, not for these Hoosiers who once again approach late-season urgency with late-season excellence – a 3-2 comeback victory over the Wildcats from a 2-0 halftime deficit, an unbeaten four-game streak that suggests another title run is coming despite a 4-3-5 record.
"I like this team," says Yeagley, who has had plenty to like during his 15 Hoosier head coaching seasons. "We're having to work a little harder for things. Other teams I've coached, things came a little easier. This time, it's not as easy.
"But they're finding a way and staying in the hunt. They are right in the fight. Nothing is out of our reach. I keep telling them that."
Yeagley reflects on last season, when a 3-3-4 start wound up in an Elite Eight finish. IU shared the Big Ten regular season title with Penn State, then beat the Nittany Lions in the conference tourney championship game.
"Last year was no better example of that," he says. "Halfway through the season, who would have given us a chance to win the Big Ten? Not many.
"Who knows what will happen in the Big Ten or on a national scale this season? If we play like this and have this type of determination and gritty effort, we'll give ourselves a chance to win every game."
Senior forward Tommy Mihalic is all in. He's a dynamic goal scorer who has found his form – his eight goals and 17 points are career highs; only Wisconsin's Dean Boltz, with nine, has scored more goal in the Big Ten this season. Mihalic embraces IU's opportunity in its final six regular season games, starting with Friday's home contest against Penn State.
"This shows we can beat anyone and fight from any position in any game," Mihalic says of the Kentucky comeback. "Being 2-0 down, most teams crumble. We didn't do that.
"It shows our character. At halftime, there was not a head down in the locker room. It's that belief. This is a win that can turn your season around and carry you far. It feels unreal."
Freshman midfielder Michael Nesci shares that feeling. He scored the game-winning goal as a late-game sub up to the challenge.
"With the Hoosier history, it doesn't matter if you're down," he says. "You know there's always that fire behind the Hoosiers and that you will come out with that win."
Knowing requires doing, which starts by tapping into the program's championship tradition – eight national titles, nine national runner-up finishes, five College Cup appearances since 2010. Yeagley saw the halftime deficit as opportunity. He sees a team building for another late-season run.
"The first half was a little bit like our season," he says. "The ball is bouncing around (near the goal), and we can't make a play. I told them (at halftime), we're going to get two or three goals. This will be a moment for the season that we'll look back on."
IU dominated the first half with a 14-3 shot advantage, and still trailed 2-0. A lesser team, having already endured similar frustrations in the previous 11 games, might have conceded.
Instead, the Hoosiers might have defined their season. They finished with those three goals, a 22-4 shot advantage and the sense big things are coming.
"Every season has games that you look back on … I'm very confident we can do some special things this year," Yeagley says. "This could be that game.
"It was an important win we needed, to come back from 2-0 behind and play well. There was no luck into it. It will be a great reflection point and give us a lot of confidence. Every season has that. We might be currently in one, which is cool."
The Hosiers are 2-0-2 in their last four games with a tie against No. 4 Ohio State and a win at No. 8 Wisconsin. Their RPI, a major barometer for NCAA tourney selection if a Big Ten tourney automatic bid isn't won, jumped to No. 37. It doesn't guarantee a bid, but it does improve the chances for a 38th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Consider, over the last four years, IU has thrived in October with a 19-4-6 record.
"We can beat anyone, play with anyone," Mihalic says. "We're really excited for these Big Ten games. A huge part of the season is coming up."
IU's offense is picking up. It's scored 10 goals in its last four games while continuing to outshoot opponents. For the season, the Hoosiers have taken 172 shots to opponents' 126. However, they have only scored 17 goals, the same number they have allowed.
Still …
"I like the way we're playing," Yeagley says. "We're playing well. Even defensively, we're not giving these teams a lot of chances."
IU remains in the Big Ten title hunt, with plenty of work to do. Ohio State and Maryland lead the conference standings with 4-0-1 records and 13 points. Michigan State is next with a 3-2 record and nine points. IU is tied with Penn State with eight points, although the Hoosiers are 2-1-2 in the Big Ten to the Nittany Lions' 2-2-2, 5-5-2 overall.
"They lost some key players from last year," Yeagley says of Penn State. "They're just starting to get their form. They will be tough. We're all playing for a lot. They'll be prepared. It will be a tough match."
These Hoosiers, as so many Cream and Crimson squads before them, seem ready to handle it.
"I told our guys they have to continue to perform and stay locked in," Yeagley says. "They have good focus. They are in a good flow. They know they're in striking distance. There is so much ahead for this team."
Players Mentioned
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