Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: Do You Believe – IU in 'Whatever It Takes' Mode for Next NCAA Tourney Soccer Challenge
11/27/2024 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sometimes your best players aren't enough. Sometimes, if you want a deep postseason run culminating in a national championship, and you'd better believe No. 14-seeded Indiana (11-4-5) seeks all of that as it prepares for Saturday's NCAA tourney third-round game at No. 3-seed Denver (13-3-4), you need players outside the spotlight to excel.
The Hoosiers have seen that throughout the season, certainly in last Sunday's tough-minded, sudden-death overtime victory against Akron when everyone really did matter.
"This is a team that believes in each other," coach Todd Yeagley says. "It's willing to do whatever it takes to get a win."
The Hoosiers showcased that in their Akron victory, which snapped a run of golden-goal bad luck. Sudden death postseason elimination had come in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020-21 and 2021.
That elimination didn't come again was a credit to defenders Jansen Miller, Quinton Elliot, Josh Maher, Breckin Minzey and Alex Barger; goalkeeper JT Harms; midfielders Patrick McDonald, Jack Wagoner and Charlie Heuer; and forwards Justin Weiss, Collins Oduro, and Clay Murador. They all came up big against Akron, some as starters, some as subs.
"Charlie did a nice job coming into the midfield," Yeagley says. "Wagoner was fatiguing a bit (in the second half), and we wanted to be a little more attack minded at that point. Charlie is more attack minded.
"Everyone was ready to go. Barger didn't start, but he was ready. Clay gave us good minutes. He hadn't played in a while. The bench and guys' readiness were great. Barger didn't sulk that he didn't start. He was like, when you need me, I'll be ready."
Consider McDonald, a senior with a game-winning goal, and seven points for the season. He doesn't light up the stat sheet, but his fitness and knack for making the right plays at the right time are invaluable and have earned him All-Big Ten accolades. His second-half assist to Weiss resulted in Sunday's tying goal.
"He's different," Miller says. "He's got an engine. He's our heart and soul in the middle."
No one appreciates McDonald's difference-making play better than Yeagley, who played him all 100 minutes.
"With him, it's winning time," Yeagley says. "(Against Akron), it's his play in the box, his slide tackle, you can make a highlight tape of those. He's always making winning-moment plays. He has a lot of experience.
"He has an incredible aerobic gift. As (opponents) are getting fatigued, he gets more excited. It's like he's thinking, 'They're dead and I can still go.'"
Consider Miller, whose golden-goal header propelled the Hoosiers into the Sweet Sixteen round for the 10th straight season, generated "Is this real?" celebratory social media acclaim and earned him Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week honors. It was just the second goal of his career. He also played 100 minutes.
Of course, it's Miller's defense that elevates him above the rest. He and Maher helped hold Akron's Emil Jaaskelainen, whose 23 goals led the nation, to zero shots.
Repeat, zero shots.
"He puts out so many fires," McDonald says. "He's super reliable every game. He rarely gets beat. If something gets by me, Jansen is there."
On Saturday, IU will face a Denver team that has one College Cup in its history, in 2016. The Pioneers earned the No. 3 overall seed, the best in program history. They have won at least one NCAA tourney game in each of the last four seasons and are 122-39-32 since the start of the 2015 season.
Goalkeeper Isaac Nehme has 27 career shutouts, including Sunday's 3-0 win over Gardner-Webb.
The teams have met twice before, with the Hoosiers winning both by 2-1 scores.
Yeagley says IU's tough schedule, and the diversity of Big Ten playing styles, provide a postseason advantage.
"What we'll see, and the Big Ten prepares you for this, is we're going to see different styles. With Denver, it will be a way different type of game than Akron. They play different. Their personality is different.
"(In the NCAA Tournament), you have to win in different ways, different places, different styles. The Big Ten prepares you for that."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sometimes your best players aren't enough. Sometimes, if you want a deep postseason run culminating in a national championship, and you'd better believe No. 14-seeded Indiana (11-4-5) seeks all of that as it prepares for Saturday's NCAA tourney third-round game at No. 3-seed Denver (13-3-4), you need players outside the spotlight to excel.
The Hoosiers have seen that throughout the season, certainly in last Sunday's tough-minded, sudden-death overtime victory against Akron when everyone really did matter.
"This is a team that believes in each other," coach Todd Yeagley says. "It's willing to do whatever it takes to get a win."
The Hoosiers showcased that in their Akron victory, which snapped a run of golden-goal bad luck. Sudden death postseason elimination had come in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020-21 and 2021.
That elimination didn't come again was a credit to defenders Jansen Miller, Quinton Elliot, Josh Maher, Breckin Minzey and Alex Barger; goalkeeper JT Harms; midfielders Patrick McDonald, Jack Wagoner and Charlie Heuer; and forwards Justin Weiss, Collins Oduro, and Clay Murador. They all came up big against Akron, some as starters, some as subs.
"Charlie did a nice job coming into the midfield," Yeagley says. "Wagoner was fatiguing a bit (in the second half), and we wanted to be a little more attack minded at that point. Charlie is more attack minded.
"Everyone was ready to go. Barger didn't start, but he was ready. Clay gave us good minutes. He hadn't played in a while. The bench and guys' readiness were great. Barger didn't sulk that he didn't start. He was like, when you need me, I'll be ready."
Consider McDonald, a senior with a game-winning goal, and seven points for the season. He doesn't light up the stat sheet, but his fitness and knack for making the right plays at the right time are invaluable and have earned him All-Big Ten accolades. His second-half assist to Weiss resulted in Sunday's tying goal.
"He's different," Miller says. "He's got an engine. He's our heart and soul in the middle."
No one appreciates McDonald's difference-making play better than Yeagley, who played him all 100 minutes.
"With him, it's winning time," Yeagley says. "(Against Akron), it's his play in the box, his slide tackle, you can make a highlight tape of those. He's always making winning-moment plays. He has a lot of experience.
"He has an incredible aerobic gift. As (opponents) are getting fatigued, he gets more excited. It's like he's thinking, 'They're dead and I can still go.'"
Consider Miller, whose golden-goal header propelled the Hoosiers into the Sweet Sixteen round for the 10th straight season, generated "Is this real?" celebratory social media acclaim and earned him Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week honors. It was just the second goal of his career. He also played 100 minutes.
Of course, it's Miller's defense that elevates him above the rest. He and Maher helped hold Akron's Emil Jaaskelainen, whose 23 goals led the nation, to zero shots.
Repeat, zero shots.
"He puts out so many fires," McDonald says. "He's super reliable every game. He rarely gets beat. If something gets by me, Jansen is there."
On Saturday, IU will face a Denver team that has one College Cup in its history, in 2016. The Pioneers earned the No. 3 overall seed, the best in program history. They have won at least one NCAA tourney game in each of the last four seasons and are 122-39-32 since the start of the 2015 season.
Goalkeeper Isaac Nehme has 27 career shutouts, including Sunday's 3-0 win over Gardner-Webb.
The teams have met twice before, with the Hoosiers winning both by 2-1 scores.
Yeagley says IU's tough schedule, and the diversity of Big Ten playing styles, provide a postseason advantage.
"What we'll see, and the Big Ten prepares you for this, is we're going to see different styles. With Denver, it will be a way different type of game than Akron. They play different. Their personality is different.
"(In the NCAA Tournament), you have to win in different ways, different places, different styles. The Big Ten prepares you for that."
Players Mentioned
Defender
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Defender
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Midfielder
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Defender
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Midfielder
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Defender
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Defender
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Forward
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Forward
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Midfielder
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Forward
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