Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: Ready to Fly – IU Primed after NCAA Tourney Win
11/25/2024 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Where were you when Indiana once again found soccer NCAA tourney glory?
Where were you when the No. 14-seeded Hoosiers, facing a 1-0 second-half deficit and season-ending defeat against a battle-tested Akron team led by a goal-scorer as dominant as the college game has produced in recent years, rallied for Sunday's 2-1 overtime NCAA tourney second-round victory, benefitting from a golden goal, something that Hoosier coach Todd Yeagley had previously dreaded as much as the flu?
"We knew it could be the last college game for a lot of us," forward Justin Weiss said. "At that point, it was do or go home. At that point, we were going to leave it all out there."
Where were you when 6-2 defender Jansen Miller, who hadn't scored a goal in more than two years, soared high to head in a gorgeous curling pass from forward Collins Oduro for the golden-goal game winner at sun-splashed Bill Armstrong Stadium?
"We created some danger and were proactive," Yeagley said about the overtime action that led to Miller's goal. "In the end, it was making a play on a good cross. Collins had a nice ball in, and Jansen got up and challenged. It was fun."
The fun was, in some ways, expected despite the fact IU hadn't scored a golden goal since the 2012 NCAA tourney, despite the fact it had lost by either golden goal or penalty kick shootout seven times in its last eight NCAA tourney appearances, despite the fact Akron (12-5-4) had Emil Jaaskelainen and his nation-leading 23 goals.
As it turned out, Jaaskelainen never took a shot, let alone scored.
"I felt really good going into overtime," Yeagley said. "You could see (Akron) leave the field dejected. They did not have much bounce. They were quiet. Our guys sensed it. I didn't say a word about it. (Our players) said, (the Zips) don't want this. We want this. They took that bravado into overtime."
Suddenly, it was a time to hug, to cheer, to take photos, to high-five, to sign autographs, to squint into a fierce late-afternoon sun seeking someone to share the moment.
And then, as the Hoosiers (11-4-5) prepared for Saturday's Sweet Sixteen showdown at No. 3-seed Denver (13-3-4), it was a time to reflect on what's possible.
"We just want to get to the Final Four and see if we can win two games," Yeagley said. "That's the only thing on my mind."
IU is two games away from that opportunity. The latest win breeds confidence, which Indiana already has in abundance from a foundation of short and long-term success, including the Akron win and a nation's best 10 straight NCAA tourney third-round appearances.
"The second half is what we can do," Miller said about the Hoosiers' dominance in the final 55 minutes. "We got the first one out of the way. Now, we're going to start flying."
One hundred punishing soccer minutes left Miller gingerly crossing Jerry Yeagley Field to offer post-game perspective on his game-winning goal.
"Collins played me a perfect ball. I had to go get it. It was more like a will to win.
"This is my last year; it's a lot these guys' last year. We were doing whatever we can to win. That moment shows that."
The moment was special for Weiss, a Northwestern graduate transfer playing in his only Hoosier season. His second-half goal – coming in the 71st minute when Oduro won a midfield header, got the ball to midfielder Patrick McDonald, who quickly passed to Weiss, who chipped the ball over on-rushing goalkeeper Brett Kaminski – was his first-ever in NCAA tourney play given it was his first NCAA tourney appearance. It tied the score at 1-1 and gave IU its overtime chance. It was Weiss's seventh goal in his last six matches and the 25th of his career.
"It was a beautiful ball by Pat," Weiss said. "Once I saw the ball go over the top and the keeper started stepping up, I was going to go over the top. He stepped out a little too far."
The Hoosier went on the attack when starting Akron goalie Mitch Budler, the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, went out after 39 scoreless minutes with an injury and Kaminski, a freshman who hadn't played all season, replaced him.
"(Kaminski) had some nerves," Weiss said. "He probably wasn't expecting to play. Our guys started shooting the ball. (Forward Samuel Sarver) had one that hit off the post. We got confidence that (Kaminski) was probably a little nervous."
Miller said the Hoosiers' early struggles reflected their 17-day layoff after losing in the opening round of the Big Ten tourney.
"We didn't play the best the first 45 minutes," he said. "Because of our 17 days off, we were a little rusty."
The tenacity to overcome it, McDonald added, "is what it takes to win in the tournament."
"Not every game will be pretty," he said. "For us to do that and come back shows we have a lot of character. It gives everybody a lot of confidence."
Confidence included IU's consistent excellence that is unlike anything else in college soccer given its eight national championships and nine national runner-up finishes. Consider Notre Dame, last year's national runner-up, didn't make this year's 48-team NCAA event.
"It's pretty cool to be that consistent," McDonald said. "It's impressive when you consider some teams that went far in the tournament last year missed it. It was like, 'Wow, we really are consistent and make deep runs every year.'"
Added Yeagley: It's a great thing. The consistency is what I'm proud of."
Now, IU will face a Denver team coming off a 3-0 Sunday win over Gardner-Webb, a team with at least one NCAA tourney victory in each of the last four seasons.
"Akron is just as good as any team we'll see," McDonald said. "We know our path is not easy. We have to take care of business every game."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Where were you when Indiana once again found soccer NCAA tourney glory?
Where were you when the No. 14-seeded Hoosiers, facing a 1-0 second-half deficit and season-ending defeat against a battle-tested Akron team led by a goal-scorer as dominant as the college game has produced in recent years, rallied for Sunday's 2-1 overtime NCAA tourney second-round victory, benefitting from a golden goal, something that Hoosier coach Todd Yeagley had previously dreaded as much as the flu?
"We knew it could be the last college game for a lot of us," forward Justin Weiss said. "At that point, it was do or go home. At that point, we were going to leave it all out there."
Where were you when 6-2 defender Jansen Miller, who hadn't scored a goal in more than two years, soared high to head in a gorgeous curling pass from forward Collins Oduro for the golden-goal game winner at sun-splashed Bill Armstrong Stadium?
"We created some danger and were proactive," Yeagley said about the overtime action that led to Miller's goal. "In the end, it was making a play on a good cross. Collins had a nice ball in, and Jansen got up and challenged. It was fun."
The fun was, in some ways, expected despite the fact IU hadn't scored a golden goal since the 2012 NCAA tourney, despite the fact it had lost by either golden goal or penalty kick shootout seven times in its last eight NCAA tourney appearances, despite the fact Akron (12-5-4) had Emil Jaaskelainen and his nation-leading 23 goals.
As it turned out, Jaaskelainen never took a shot, let alone scored.
"I felt really good going into overtime," Yeagley said. "You could see (Akron) leave the field dejected. They did not have much bounce. They were quiet. Our guys sensed it. I didn't say a word about it. (Our players) said, (the Zips) don't want this. We want this. They took that bravado into overtime."
Suddenly, it was a time to hug, to cheer, to take photos, to high-five, to sign autographs, to squint into a fierce late-afternoon sun seeking someone to share the moment.
And then, as the Hoosiers (11-4-5) prepared for Saturday's Sweet Sixteen showdown at No. 3-seed Denver (13-3-4), it was a time to reflect on what's possible.
"We just want to get to the Final Four and see if we can win two games," Yeagley said. "That's the only thing on my mind."
IU is two games away from that opportunity. The latest win breeds confidence, which Indiana already has in abundance from a foundation of short and long-term success, including the Akron win and a nation's best 10 straight NCAA tourney third-round appearances.
"The second half is what we can do," Miller said about the Hoosiers' dominance in the final 55 minutes. "We got the first one out of the way. Now, we're going to start flying."
One hundred punishing soccer minutes left Miller gingerly crossing Jerry Yeagley Field to offer post-game perspective on his game-winning goal.
"Collins played me a perfect ball. I had to go get it. It was more like a will to win.
"This is my last year; it's a lot these guys' last year. We were doing whatever we can to win. That moment shows that."
The moment was special for Weiss, a Northwestern graduate transfer playing in his only Hoosier season. His second-half goal – coming in the 71st minute when Oduro won a midfield header, got the ball to midfielder Patrick McDonald, who quickly passed to Weiss, who chipped the ball over on-rushing goalkeeper Brett Kaminski – was his first-ever in NCAA tourney play given it was his first NCAA tourney appearance. It tied the score at 1-1 and gave IU its overtime chance. It was Weiss's seventh goal in his last six matches and the 25th of his career.
"It was a beautiful ball by Pat," Weiss said. "Once I saw the ball go over the top and the keeper started stepping up, I was going to go over the top. He stepped out a little too far."
The Hoosier went on the attack when starting Akron goalie Mitch Budler, the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, went out after 39 scoreless minutes with an injury and Kaminski, a freshman who hadn't played all season, replaced him.
"(Kaminski) had some nerves," Weiss said. "He probably wasn't expecting to play. Our guys started shooting the ball. (Forward Samuel Sarver) had one that hit off the post. We got confidence that (Kaminski) was probably a little nervous."
Miller said the Hoosiers' early struggles reflected their 17-day layoff after losing in the opening round of the Big Ten tourney.
"We didn't play the best the first 45 minutes," he said. "Because of our 17 days off, we were a little rusty."
The tenacity to overcome it, McDonald added, "is what it takes to win in the tournament."
"Not every game will be pretty," he said. "For us to do that and come back shows we have a lot of character. It gives everybody a lot of confidence."
Confidence included IU's consistent excellence that is unlike anything else in college soccer given its eight national championships and nine national runner-up finishes. Consider Notre Dame, last year's national runner-up, didn't make this year's 48-team NCAA event.
"It's pretty cool to be that consistent," McDonald said. "It's impressive when you consider some teams that went far in the tournament last year missed it. It was like, 'Wow, we really are consistent and make deep runs every year.'"
Added Yeagley: It's a great thing. The consistency is what I'm proud of."
Now, IU will face a Denver team coming off a 3-0 Sunday win over Gardner-Webb, a team with at least one NCAA tourney victory in each of the last four seasons.
"Akron is just as good as any team we'll see," McDonald said. "We know our path is not easy. We have to take care of business every game."
Players Mentioned
Midfielder
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Defender
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Forward
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Forward
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Forward
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