Since joining the Big Ten, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have stabbed IU in the back.
Last season the two sides battled to a 0-0 draw in Piscataway, New Jersey. In 2015, the Hoosiers suffered one of their worst home defeats in recent memory, losing 4-1 to Rutgers.
This time around, IU is looking to return the favor against the Scarlet Knights, and the Hoosiers have a team capable of doing so.
No. 2 IU welcomes Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. Friday to Bill Armstrong Stadium looking to extend its unbeaten streak to eight matches.
“We’ll see a very different team than we saw Sunday,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “It’s going to be a team that’s athletic, individually talented, a lot of players who can make individual plays. Their record is not indicative of their play during games that I’ve seen.”
In the last two matches, the Hoosiers have played very differently. In the home draw against Michigan, it was an open game, with both sides getting a lot of room to work. Then, in the 2-0 win against Northwestern on Sunday, the Hoosiers dominated the match, while the Wildcats sat back and gave IU the freedom to control.
The Hoosiers will most likely have the majority of the possession again Friday against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers comes into Friday’s match 1-6-1 and at the bottom of the Big Ten. In total, Rutgers has given up 22 goals while scoring just nine against opponents like No. 7 North Carolina, No. 4 Wake Forest and No. 3 Maryland.
The Scarlet Knights will provide a bit of a different look for the Hoosiers as they play a different style than they saw at Northwestern. Yeagley said senior midfielder Erik Sa is a big playmaker for Rutgers and will be a factor Friday.
“They played Michigan State tight,” Yeagley said. “They’re good, especially going forward they’re dangerous. Sa wasn’t there last year; I think he’s one of the best midfielders I think in the conference, and they have some wide guys that are very elusive.”
The lineup for IU has not changed drastically this season. The only real change has been IU junior defender Rece Buckmaster taking over at right back for injured sophomore Jordan Kleyn. Besides that, there have been minor moves. The striker has rotated between a group of three players, while some of the wingers have rotated in and out as well.
Yeagley has said his team knows the starting lineup isn’t the end-all be-all. The players know there is a rotation, and they have trust in Yeagley to make the right decisions at the right time. IU junior Jeremiah Gutjahr says it’s just about finding the right formula within the team.
“I’ve tried to fill a lot of roles coach has asked of me,” Gutjahr said. “We have a lot of good players. There’s so many guys that deserve to be on the field, so trying to find the right spots for everybody. The end goal is just to have the best team out there as possible.”
The Hoosiers haven’t won at home since Sept. 3. Now, IU returns home for four straight matches and six out of the next seven. But the Hoosiers will keep the focus on the upcoming match because they can’t take the Scarlet Knights for granted, looking at recent history.
“Every game is tough,” Yeagley said. “We have to be super mobile, move them around and we have to do the simple things really well and be very, very aware of their ability on the transition with their athletic qualities.”
