Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: Nesci Earns Veteran Trust Despite Freshman Status
10/11/2024 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Michael Nesci's Indiana soccer media spotlight brought nerves. That's understandable. The freshman had never been in this situation before, had never scored a game-winning college goal in such a huge moment before, had never had press conference chance to talk about it before.
That Nesci got so big a late-game opportunity in what became a pressure-packed 3-2 victory over Kentucky left him hoping for more, perhaps as soon as Friday night, when the Hoosiers (4-3-5 overall, 2-1-2 in the Big Ten) host Penn State (5-5-2, 2-2-2) at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
"It feels great," Nesci says. "Having a coaching staff that really respects you and trusts you in big moments and big games. It's an unreal feeling."
Reality blurred when 45 minutes of Tuesday night action at Bill Armstrong Stadium left the Hoosiers facing a 2-0 halftime home deficit against Kentucky. Eleven second-half minutes later, the score was tied, and opportunity was everywhere you looked.
With five ties already on its resume, IU didn't need another. It needed a dramatic victory, a potentially defining victory, a victory that would, as in the previous two seasons, help propel it to postseason success.
Eleven minutes remained in a 2-2 tie when Yeagley picked Nesci to go in for veteran Justin Weiss, a Northwestern transfer with two All-Big Ten selections on his resume. It was not, Yeagley insisted, a situation where Weiss was playing poorly. But he had been playing major minutes as a starter and in this moment, Yeagley wanted fresh legs and a scorer's mentality, a lesson learned from last week's 2-2 tie against Washington. He saw it in Nesci, a four-star prospect after playing for the Chicago Fire Academy who had totaled 50 goals and 28 assists as the top scorer in MLS Next U17. Yeagley picked a player whose training, although up and down as befits a freshman, showed promise.
"When you're tired, it's hard to keep things on frame," Yeagley says. "That final pass is difficult. That's why (Nesci's) time was ready."
And then, as Nesci was set to run onto Jerry Yeagley Field, the head coach provided a message, the family friendly version of which was, "Get a goal."
In the game's 85th minute, Nesci did.
"He delivered," Yeagley says with a smile.
The aftermath included a quick conversation with senior forward Tommy Mihalic, whose two earlier goals had helped set up Nesci's game-winning opportunity.
"I told him right after he scored, that's what we need," Mihalic says. "His number was called late. He gave us that. That's phenomenal, especially from a freshman.
"He showed that class before (against Notre Dame). We knew he could do it. Once he got the ball in that position, I knew he'd put it away."
Teammates swarmed Nesci after the goal with a dogpile celebration that reflected the team-wide understanding of the moment's importance for the game, and the season.
"I felt like hundreds of bodies on me," he says. "It was great. It was a feeling like you have as a little kid. It's one of those games you hope for when you get older."
Nesci insists he saw this goal coming. He says he told associate head coach Kevin Robson before the game that, "If I came in, I would score. I came in, put everything out there I could, and it paid off."
Nesci has played in 11 of IU's 12 games, with four starts. He's scored on two of his 12 shots, six of which were on goal. His first goal helped IU earn a 2-2 tie against Notre Dame in late August.
"It's exhilarating," Nesci says about his college goals. "With both of them, the amount of adrenalin and passion from those moments have been amazing. With this team, it's opportunities after opportunities. I just love them."
Still, his playing time has been limited, which is typical of Hoosier freshmen given the program's strong tradition.
"He has a lot of confidence," Yeagley says, "but like a lot of freshmen, he's had a couple of weeks of up-and-down training. That's why we didn't use him.
"We talked to him about that. We said, 'Michael, we have a lot of confidence in you. Look at the guys who are All-Americans. A lot of them didn't play as freshmen. Don't get disappointed that your minutes aren't there. Continue to train well and your minutes will come.'"
And so they have.
And so, with postseason prospects at stake, they will.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Michael Nesci's Indiana soccer media spotlight brought nerves. That's understandable. The freshman had never been in this situation before, had never scored a game-winning college goal in such a huge moment before, had never had press conference chance to talk about it before.
That Nesci got so big a late-game opportunity in what became a pressure-packed 3-2 victory over Kentucky left him hoping for more, perhaps as soon as Friday night, when the Hoosiers (4-3-5 overall, 2-1-2 in the Big Ten) host Penn State (5-5-2, 2-2-2) at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
"It feels great," Nesci says. "Having a coaching staff that really respects you and trusts you in big moments and big games. It's an unreal feeling."
Reality blurred when 45 minutes of Tuesday night action at Bill Armstrong Stadium left the Hoosiers facing a 2-0 halftime home deficit against Kentucky. Eleven second-half minutes later, the score was tied, and opportunity was everywhere you looked.
With five ties already on its resume, IU didn't need another. It needed a dramatic victory, a potentially defining victory, a victory that would, as in the previous two seasons, help propel it to postseason success.
Eleven minutes remained in a 2-2 tie when Yeagley picked Nesci to go in for veteran Justin Weiss, a Northwestern transfer with two All-Big Ten selections on his resume. It was not, Yeagley insisted, a situation where Weiss was playing poorly. But he had been playing major minutes as a starter and in this moment, Yeagley wanted fresh legs and a scorer's mentality, a lesson learned from last week's 2-2 tie against Washington. He saw it in Nesci, a four-star prospect after playing for the Chicago Fire Academy who had totaled 50 goals and 28 assists as the top scorer in MLS Next U17. Yeagley picked a player whose training, although up and down as befits a freshman, showed promise.
"When you're tired, it's hard to keep things on frame," Yeagley says. "That final pass is difficult. That's why (Nesci's) time was ready."
And then, as Nesci was set to run onto Jerry Yeagley Field, the head coach provided a message, the family friendly version of which was, "Get a goal."
In the game's 85th minute, Nesci did.
"He delivered," Yeagley says with a smile.
The aftermath included a quick conversation with senior forward Tommy Mihalic, whose two earlier goals had helped set up Nesci's game-winning opportunity.
"I told him right after he scored, that's what we need," Mihalic says. "His number was called late. He gave us that. That's phenomenal, especially from a freshman.
"He showed that class before (against Notre Dame). We knew he could do it. Once he got the ball in that position, I knew he'd put it away."
Teammates swarmed Nesci after the goal with a dogpile celebration that reflected the team-wide understanding of the moment's importance for the game, and the season.
"I felt like hundreds of bodies on me," he says. "It was great. It was a feeling like you have as a little kid. It's one of those games you hope for when you get older."
Nesci insists he saw this goal coming. He says he told associate head coach Kevin Robson before the game that, "If I came in, I would score. I came in, put everything out there I could, and it paid off."
Nesci has played in 11 of IU's 12 games, with four starts. He's scored on two of his 12 shots, six of which were on goal. His first goal helped IU earn a 2-2 tie against Notre Dame in late August.
"It's exhilarating," Nesci says about his college goals. "With both of them, the amount of adrenalin and passion from those moments have been amazing. With this team, it's opportunities after opportunities. I just love them."
Still, his playing time has been limited, which is typical of Hoosier freshmen given the program's strong tradition.
"He has a lot of confidence," Yeagley says, "but like a lot of freshmen, he's had a couple of weeks of up-and-down training. That's why we didn't use him.
"We talked to him about that. We said, 'Michael, we have a lot of confidence in you. Look at the guys who are All-Americans. A lot of them didn't play as freshmen. Don't get disappointed that your minutes aren't there. Continue to train well and your minutes will come.'"
And so they have.
And so, with postseason prospects at stake, they will.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's SoccerWednesday, August 12
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