The Hoosiers had to hire him away from Wisconsin, where he spent one year as the head coach.
On Saturday, he will make his fourth trip back to Wisconsin since being hired at IU. He is 1-2 facing the Badgers on the road, and is ?2-2-1 overall against his former team, including a 4-3 loss last season.
No. 2 IU is 11-2-3 (3-2-1) on the year and currently has 10 points in conference play, good for fourth place.
In order for the Hoosiers to win the Big Ten, they will need to beat Wisconsin and Michigan State next week, Penn State must lose its final conference game and Ohio State can’t win both of its remaining Big Ten games.
“The Big Ten, it’s tough,” sophomore midfielder Tanner Thompson said. “It’s a lot more competitive; it’s a bigger conference, and there’s more conference play, which is good.”
Wisconsin (3-10-2, 0-6) has struggled this season. It’s coming off of a 2-1 overtime loss to Penn State on the road.
“Every single game is going to be a tough one,” freshman defender Grant Lillard said.
The Hoosiers are 5-0 on the road this year.
IU has scored 26 goals this season and allowed just 11. The Badgers have scored just 15 goals and allowed 25.
Wisconsin is led by two freshman forwards, Tom Barlow and Mark Segbers, who each have four goals this ?season.
The Hoosiers are led by junior midfielder Femi Hollinger-Janzen, who has five goals. Thompson and Lillard each have four goals. IU has seven players with two goals or more, while Wisconsin has just four.
Another area IU stands apart from Wisconsin is at goalie. Sophomore Colin Webb has been having a nice season posting a save percentage of .817 for the Hoosiers, while the Badgers have seen two different goalies play this season.
Redshirt sophomore Casey Beyers has started six games, and freshman Adrian Remeniuk has started nine.
Both have been sub-par with an average save percentage of .688. IU will likely face Beyers on Saturday.
IU will be coming off of a 2-0 win over in-state rival Evansville on Wednesday. Saturday in Madison will be IU’s last away match of the regular season.
“Every Big Ten game, every match, is important,” Yeagley said.
Despite Wisconsin’s record, Yeagley says his team won’t take any opponent lightly, saying it is a big game, especially to stay in the Big Ten race.
“We have a really tough conference match against a very good Wisconsin team on Saturday night,” Yeagley said.
