It was the game that turned IU men’s soccer season around a year ago, but when IU faces Rutgers on Friday night, the Hoosiers have to make sure they don’t get trapped.
A 4-1 home loss against the Scarlet Knights in 2015 gave a .500 Hoosier team the fuel to rally and win nine of its last 10 games in the regular season. This year, IU, with a record of 5-0-3, checks in at No. 4 in the national polls. Rutgers, with a record of 0-6, hasn’t won a game yet.
With two top-10 teams scheduled to face the Hoosiers after they play the Scarlet Knights, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he knows not to overlook any opponent and take each game one at a time.
“For us, it’s just the next game, and I’m not just saying that. It really is,” Yeagley said. “We’ll prepare and know what their strengths and weaknesses are. I really focused on our group and how they prepare. Rutgers will impose a different threat than the previous game, so we’ll have those tendencies ready.”
The Scarlet Knights return former Big Ten offensive player of the year Jason Wright, who netted 13 goals last season but has yet to find the back of the net through the first six games this season. Rutgers has struggled on offense all year with just two goals as a team. Both of those came in the last two games.
IU will be the fifth ranked opponent that Rutgers will face this year.
After being blown out by Michigan State in its conference opener, Rutgers has battled much better in its past two games. It took the new No. 1 team in the nation, Maryland, into double overtime at home and scored once at Ohio State.
While Rutgers has conceded 17 goals, IU has only allowed three with its top defender not playing on the backline for a good portion of the year.
Junior defender Grant Lillard sat out the last match against IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and played limited minutes against Northwestern due to a stomach issue.
Lillard had already missed time earlier this season after grabbing a red card late in the first half against Stanford and ultimately being suspended the next game against Maryland.
Sophomore defender Timmy Mehl has stepped in nicely for Lillard during his time out and serves as a quality player off the bench Yeagley can turn to when he needs fresh legs.
“I think Timmy is doing a great job,” senior forward Richard Ballard said. “That’s the great thing about our team is that we have such good depth. He comes in the game and works his butt off and our defensive organization doesn’t drop a bit.”
The Hoosiers will have to reenergize themselves as they make the trip out east to New Jersey for just their second true road game of the season.
Yeagley made sure to say this game isn’t revenge for last year.
However, senior midfielder Tanner Thompson said last year’s game is still in the minds of the Hoosiers.
“Every game we play the same way. Every game we go into in the Big Ten we need to get three points,” Thompson said. “What they did here last year is definitely in the back of our heads a little bit, but we go into just like any other game, and we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again this year.”
