These are the games the IU men’s soccer team lives for. There is no “tough schedule” talk inside the Hoosier locker room.
On Wednesday night in Lexington, Kentucky, it will be the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers versus the No. 4-ranked Wildcats.
This was how IU opened its season. Two road matches against two top-five teams. Ever since dropping that opening match to the current No. 1 team in the country, Wake Forest, the Hoosiers have gone on a tear.
Nine straight wins including victories over No. 3 North Carolina on the road, then-No. 22 Dartmouth at home, then-No. 18 UConn at home and then-No. 8 Notre Dame on the road.
Based on that schedule, the last four games for IU can be called a lull in the schedule with Wisconsin, Evansville, Northwestern and Penn State. But even all three of those Big Ten teams are tough opponents.
Kentucky, the sixth ranked opponent to play IU, comes into the match with an 8-0-1 record, with the tie coming against Xavier, 0-0. The Wildcats have an impressive 3-0 victory on their resume over No. 6 Louisville.
Kentucky brings size to the pitch. That shows in their leading scorer JJ Williams, a 6-foot-4 striker who has netted a team-high seven goals and 18 shots on the season.
Expect IU’s two inside backs, senior Timmy Mehl (6-foot-1) and freshman Jack Maher (6-foot-3), to be marking Williams on set pieces.
If Williams tries to do damage from the outside, he’ll be met by the speed and tenacity of seniors Rece Buckmaster and Andrew Gutman.
Yes, Andrew Gutman. Although not confirmed he will play, after hearing Yeagley talk about Gutman’s itch to get in the game against Penn State Sunday, there’s no way he’ll be kept off the field on Wednesday.
What makes IU’s defense so great is the perfect balance of two big walls on the inside, and two smaller pests on the outside.
This season, the defense has allowed only five goals with 24 goals scored to add up that 9-1 record. Kentucky has 16 goals scored and three goals allowed. The Wildcats haven’t faced an offense like the Hoosiers, though.
Seniors Francesco Moore, Jeremiah Gutjahr and Corey Thomas are the controllers in the midfield. Thomas is a little more aggressive on the attack, while Moore and Gutjahr orchestrate the ball across the field.
Up front, the Hoosiers are lethal. Sophomores Griffin Dorsey and Justin Rennicks have the acceleration and talent to take on three defenders on their own and make something happen.
Then, you have senior Trevor Swartz and sophomore Spencer Glass, two of the best crosses in today’s NCAA. From the left side, Swartz, with eight assists, and Glass, with six assists, constantly send in dangerous balls to Dorsey and Rennicks, along with sophomore A.J. Palazzolo.
Then there’s Gutman. Yes, the feisty defenseman is also one of the biggest offensive threats IU has in its arsenal. The left back leads the team in scoring with six goals, and as much pressure as he puts on opponents’ attackers, he puts the same amount against opponents’ defenders.
The Wildcats will endure all of this, and the question is will they be able to handle it. Overall, Kentucky’s nine opponents this season have a record of under .500. The Wildcats succeeded in their test against the Cardinals, but the Hoosiers are a whole other animal.
Technically speaking, the Hoosiers aren’t even an animal, they are a tradition of excellence. Kentucky felt that tradition last season in Bloomington, as it came in ranked No. 19 and lost 2-0.
Revenge will be on the Wildcats’ mind, and they will have home field advantage. Kentucky basketball Coach John Calipari even tweeted out that he wants a packed house.
The environment will no doubt be bleeding blue the fans it will be rocking for their beloved Wildcats to knock off the Hoosiers.
Once again, these are the games the Hoosiers live for. They get amped up for these games and play their best soccer. As talented as Kentucky is, IU has too many weapons.
Calipari and the rest of Big Blue nation will be disappointed with the outcome.
