IU had five players score goals Friday night, the highest number of goal scorers in a IU match since 2005.
The five goals mostly came in different ways, as well.
Two came from penalty kicks. One came on a free kick. One came on a spectacular volley. One came from a one-two combination play. Variety would be the best way to describe those goals.
The Hoosiers dispatched the San Francisco Dons, winning 5-1 at Bill Armstrong Stadium in IU’s first home match of the season.
“I think that’s just how our team is shaping out this year,” IU freshman striker Mason Toye said. “Last year, they had a difficult year putting the ball in the back of the net, and that was something that us as freshman were trying to change a bit. This year, we said we needed to score goals and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
The goal-scoring struggles from last season have been well documented, but the struggles have been reversed to start the 2017 season.
IU's freshman class has started to reverse the trend, as shown in the 19th minute when Toye bagged his first career goal. It came on a one-two play with fellow freshman winger Griffin Dorsey.
But that may not have been the best goal of the night. IU defender Timmy Mehl buried his first goal of the regular season with a tremendous free kick. It dipped over the San Francisco wall and found the bottom left corner. IU senior forward Rashad Hyacenth may have even topped that with a golazo of his own, a volley from outside the box.
“I do feel we’re more dangerous around goal with this team,” Yeagley said. “That’s exciting because scoring goals is the most difficult thing in our sport.”
Dorsey was a player who didn’t find his name on the scoresheet, but still made a significant impact in the match. Using his pace and size, he tormented the Dons defenders down the right flank all game long. He set up the first penalty scored by IU junior Trevor Swartz and had the assist on the Toye goal.
Both Dorsey and Toye have experience playing together for the U-18 United States Youth National Team, and they have good chemistry as well. They are roommates this year, and Toye said that it helps with the camaraderie with not just them but the entire freshman class.
“Mason’s just got gobs of talent,” Yeagley said. “He moves well, he’s one of the cleanest finishers I’ve seen his age. He’s got an instinct and a mentality to score. He wants to score. He’ll find the open player, but he wants to be the one to finish it.”
There were some experiments in the starting lineup and Yeagley said that could continue. He also mentioned a few guys who haven’t yet scored a goal that could still be big contributors this season for IU. IU senior midfielder Austin Panchot and IU freshman forward Thomas Warr are two guys still looking for that elusive first goal.
Maybe Warr can get on the end of a few Dorsey crosses into the box, like Toye says they talk about.
“I’m just like, ‘get the ball, do your thing, I’ll be in the box and I’ll put them away for you,’” Toye said.
