Indiana University Athletics
DiPrimio: ‘Locked In’ – Defending Helps Fuel Unbeaten Soccer Start
9/3/2026 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Yes, it's early, four games into another promising Indiana soccer season, but are the No. 6 Hoosiers (3-0-1) building another defensive juggernaut entering Friday's home game with Cal Poly (1-0-3) to open the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic?
Signs are encouraging.
Behind goalkeeper Michal Mroz and a restructured "back six," IU makes it tough for opponents to get off a shot, let alone score. It has allowed just two goals, none during open play: one came on a penalty kick, the other on a free kick.
Notre Dame, Evansville, Butler and Louisville managed just 31 total shots (7.8 a game) and only eight on goal against the Hoosiers.
Coach Todd Yeagley calls it "collective defending." It requires great footwork, positioning and terminology. Everyone must play clean and communicate effectively.
"It's all the details that go into it," he says. "Everyone has to be locked in."
IU's best teams, its championship teams, have always thrived with defense. This group seems capable of special achievement.
While Mroz has been impressive in his IU debut season after transferring from the University of Evansville, defenders such as Nick McHenry, an Ohio State transfer and the current Big Ten defender of the week, and returning veterans and co-captains Josh Maher and Alex Barger as well as Nolan Kinsella have helped minimized opposition attacking opportunities.
Midfielders Alex Matthews, a Missouri State transfer, Wes Carnevale, a Cornell transfer, and Grant Paskus, a Northern Illinois transfer, are big reasons for that, as is returning veteran Justin Shreffler.
"Grant has filled in some holes for us," Yeagley says. "We had some rotational players back. Justin Shreffler has done well there.
"We needed to improve (the midfield) and keep that at a high level. That's a big part of our back six with the way they screen and can put fires out before attacks develop.
"That's what I'm happy about. Michal has only had to make one what I'd call a tough save. Everything else has been pretty clean, from distance and tough angles. We've defended well. That's a positive."
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Mroz has thrived in replacing last season's goalkeepers, Holden Brown (9-5, 1.29 goals against average) and Judewellin Michel (3-1-1, 1.40). Mroz has an 0.50 goals against average.
At Evansville, Mroz had 11 career shutouts in 41 starts with a 1.26 goals against average. Last year, he was the Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year.
"We felt it was important to bring in an experienced keeper," Yeagley says. "Michal fits the profile perfectly. It's his athletic qualities; his ability to make a big save. His feet are good. He can distribute. He loves to compete.
"Technically, he has three years of eligibility remaining. He's from Chicago and the region. He knows our program. He's been an ideal fit. We're really high on him."
As for McHenry – the Big Ten Defender of the Week – whose experience includes the 2024 College Cup along with a Big Ten regular season title, Yeagley adds, "getting another center back was important. It gives us improved depth at the center back position.
"We wanted someone who had a lot of flexibility, someone able to play different positions. That's what he's done. He's played wing back, little bit of center back.
"Bringing in another high-level center back with experience was important."
McHenry pairs well with Maher, who is living up to the family name into his third season, both in performance and as a leader – wearing the captain's armband like his brothers Jack and Joey did during their decorated careers in the cream and crimson.
IU is coming off Monday's 1-1 tie at unbeaten Louisville. After the Cardinals took a 1-0 second-half lead, the Hoosiers tied it on Easton Bogard's late goal off a Barger assist.
Coming back on the road like that, verifies Yeagley's belief that, "We have a tough group; some experienced players. They have a built-in resilience.
"A bump will sometimes happen. It's how do you handle it? You get together, decide what's working, what's not, and move on."
Now comes Cal Poly at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium and then Denver (0-3-1) on Monday, also at Armstrong Stadium with the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic before the Sept. 11 Big Ten opener at Michigan. Yeagley wants more effective offense to go along with the stifling defense. The Hoosiers showed it in victories over Notre Dame and Evansville (three goals in each game), not as much against Butler (just one goal despite 33 shots) and Louisville.
"This team can be more (offensively) efficient with less chances," he says.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Yes, it's early, four games into another promising Indiana soccer season, but are the No. 6 Hoosiers (3-0-1) building another defensive juggernaut entering Friday's home game with Cal Poly (1-0-3) to open the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic?
Signs are encouraging.
Behind goalkeeper Michal Mroz and a restructured "back six," IU makes it tough for opponents to get off a shot, let alone score. It has allowed just two goals, none during open play: one came on a penalty kick, the other on a free kick.
Notre Dame, Evansville, Butler and Louisville managed just 31 total shots (7.8 a game) and only eight on goal against the Hoosiers.
Coach Todd Yeagley calls it "collective defending." It requires great footwork, positioning and terminology. Everyone must play clean and communicate effectively.
"It's all the details that go into it," he says. "Everyone has to be locked in."
IU's best teams, its championship teams, have always thrived with defense. This group seems capable of special achievement.
While Mroz has been impressive in his IU debut season after transferring from the University of Evansville, defenders such as Nick McHenry, an Ohio State transfer and the current Big Ten defender of the week, and returning veterans and co-captains Josh Maher and Alex Barger as well as Nolan Kinsella have helped minimized opposition attacking opportunities.
Midfielders Alex Matthews, a Missouri State transfer, Wes Carnevale, a Cornell transfer, and Grant Paskus, a Northern Illinois transfer, are big reasons for that, as is returning veteran Justin Shreffler.
"Grant has filled in some holes for us," Yeagley says. "We had some rotational players back. Justin Shreffler has done well there.
"We needed to improve (the midfield) and keep that at a high level. That's a big part of our back six with the way they screen and can put fires out before attacks develop.
"That's what I'm happy about. Michal has only had to make one what I'd call a tough save. Everything else has been pretty clean, from distance and tough angles. We've defended well. That's a positive."
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Mroz has thrived in replacing last season's goalkeepers, Holden Brown (9-5, 1.29 goals against average) and Judewellin Michel (3-1-1, 1.40). Mroz has an 0.50 goals against average.
At Evansville, Mroz had 11 career shutouts in 41 starts with a 1.26 goals against average. Last year, he was the Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year.
"We felt it was important to bring in an experienced keeper," Yeagley says. "Michal fits the profile perfectly. It's his athletic qualities; his ability to make a big save. His feet are good. He can distribute. He loves to compete.
"Technically, he has three years of eligibility remaining. He's from Chicago and the region. He knows our program. He's been an ideal fit. We're really high on him."
As for McHenry – the Big Ten Defender of the Week – whose experience includes the 2024 College Cup along with a Big Ten regular season title, Yeagley adds, "getting another center back was important. It gives us improved depth at the center back position.
"We wanted someone who had a lot of flexibility, someone able to play different positions. That's what he's done. He's played wing back, little bit of center back.
"Bringing in another high-level center back with experience was important."
McHenry pairs well with Maher, who is living up to the family name into his third season, both in performance and as a leader – wearing the captain's armband like his brothers Jack and Joey did during their decorated careers in the cream and crimson.
IU is coming off Monday's 1-1 tie at unbeaten Louisville. After the Cardinals took a 1-0 second-half lead, the Hoosiers tied it on Easton Bogard's late goal off a Barger assist.
Coming back on the road like that, verifies Yeagley's belief that, "We have a tough group; some experienced players. They have a built-in resilience.
"A bump will sometimes happen. It's how do you handle it? You get together, decide what's working, what's not, and move on."
Now comes Cal Poly at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium and then Denver (0-3-1) on Monday, also at Armstrong Stadium with the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic before the Sept. 11 Big Ten opener at Michigan. Yeagley wants more effective offense to go along with the stifling defense. The Hoosiers showed it in victories over Notre Dame and Evansville (three goals in each game), not as much against Butler (just one goal despite 33 shots) and Louisville.
"This team can be more (offensively) efficient with less chances," he says.
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