The script was virtually unchanged for three quarters of the match.
IU was peppering IUPUI goalkeeper Josh Gray for the entire 90 minutes. The Hoosiers had more shots than in Sunday’s match, but this time around they found their breakthrough moments.
The Hoosiers, now with a 5-0-3 record, got on the board early, claimed a 2-0 victory and got back in the win column.
[COLUMN: We can take IU men's soccer seriously | Jamie Zega - IDS]
IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he expected his team to dictate much of the match. The defense was stout again and limited the Jaguars to just two shots while creating many chances.
Ultimately IU connected on just two of 36 shots.
“It was another good performance offensively based on shot creation,” Yeagley said. “The difference I thought tonight was we took more quality, less-rushed shots and for the most part had a lot of good thought to them, but they were just a little off.”
In the 12th minute it was senior forward Richard Ballard who got IU rolling.
Sophomore midfielder Rees Wedderburn and sophomore defender Rece Buckmaster set up Ballard’s fourth goal, which came by way of a tap from the top of the six-yard box, of the season.
Ballard said it helped to get a goal early in the game to lift a metaphorical weight off his team’s shoulders.
“It’s always nice to get that early goal,” Ballard said. “It definitely changed the game in a positive way, so it felt really good.”
Nearly 30 shots later and in the 75th minute, senior midfielder Tanner Thompson had the most open field he saw all night and fired a laser into the bottom right corner. That gave the Hoosiers their buffer and a 2-0 lead to end the game.
IU knew they’d have plenty of chances, but it needed to break through and convert on those chances to rebound from Sunday’s draw.
“We said we needed one,” Yeagley said. “We really wanted to put a couple away tonight, and based on what we’d given them, IUPUI was going to sit and give them numbers, based on what they did in other games. I didn’t want them to get impatient and press if the goal wasn’t coming.”
Entering the starting 11 for the first time in his career was Wedderburn, who has now played in back-to-back matches. Yeagley had said he was one of the top finishers on the team and had a hand in one of the goals Tuesday despite not scoring and stood over many restarts for the Hoosiers.
“I thought he had a good night,” Yeagley said. “I would have liked to see him get a few more chances on goal, but his service on restarts was phenomenal. Overall, his passing was good and he worked hard. He’s still a work in progress with what we want, but it was a good step forward for him.”
IU now returns to its conference slate with a road match against Rutgers, who came into Bloomington last season and left with a 4-1 win. IU isn’t out for revenge, but Thompson said it is in the backs of their heads.
“Every game we play the same way,” Thompson said. “Every game we go into in the Big Ten we need three points. What they did here last year is in the back of the head a little bit, but we go into it just like any other game. We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen again this year.”
