Following two disappointing conference draws to Michigan and Rutgers, perhaps the last thing on the mind of head coach Todd Yeagley and Indiana men’s soccer was a Big Ten title.
With a little outside help coming in the form of a Maryland draw against a middling Wisconsin side, Indiana had an opening. After a decisive 4-2 victory over Penn State on Friday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium, the Hoosiers recorded their 800th program win, remained unbeaten at home this season and — most — importantly kept their title hopes alive amidst a jumbled Big Ten table.
[Related: Indiana men’s soccer defeats Penn State 4-2, reaches 800 all-time wins]
Versatility, which Yeagley has stressed since the preseason, was the deciding factor in the team’s dominant victory. Senior defender Brett Bebej has played virtually all over the pitch throughout his time at Indiana, but this season he has settled into one of the two fullback spots opposite of senior defender Nyk Sessock.
For the second time this season, Bebej found the back of the net at a highly opportune moment around the 20th minute. Following a long throw-in from Sessock into the Nittany Lions’ box, redshirt senior defender Daniel Munie flicked the ball to the far post with his head.
Bebej, who stood alone merely feet in front of the goal, calmly headed it in to give the Hoosiers the advantage just a couple minutes after conceding.
“All I had to do was tap it in — it was all Munie and Nyk (Sessock),” Bebej said after the match. “I got the easy part. (Yeagley) trusting me gives me confidence.”
Senior forward Herbert Endeley, who traditionally dominates the wings with blistering speed, put on a display of physicality that drew immense praise from Yeagley. In the 64th minute, after redshirt senior Ryan Wittenbrink worked down the left wing and sent a cross to the nearpost, Endeley fearlessly leaped into a bigger Penn State defender.
Endeley won the 50-50 battle and fired a powerful header past Nittany Lion senior goalkeeper Kris Shakes.
“I loved (Endeley’s) header tonight. It was one of my favorite goals of the year,” Yeagley said. “He put his body on the line. It was a great, great goal.”
Wittenbrink, who notched his sixth goal and fourth assist of the season on Friday, also presented a different technical quality than Yeagley and the team had been accustomed to. Quickly into the second half, Wittenbrink fired a left-footed shot that nearly found its way into the net if not for a phenomenal save by Shakes.
Wittenbrink, a right-footed player, has traditionally played through his dominant foot. Over the past few matches, and epitomized against Penn State, his game has completely changed through his ambidexterity.
“Oh, it’s change. I mean defenses know. (Wittenbrink’s) feeling it,” Yeagley said. “He’s scored the goals, he’s feeling it, he’s dangerous almost every time he gets it. He just has that little gift that just gets you unbalanced.”
After the victory, Indiana shot up to second in the Big Ten table. Though that is subject to change after various conference matchups on Sunday, there is newfound hope for the Hoosiers.
With a pair of conference matches remaining against Wisconsin and No. 7 Maryland, the Hoosiers will likely have to win out to have a chance at the Big Ten title. To Yeagley, a chance, albeit slight, is all he could have asked for.
“When you mathematically have a chance, it’s obviously really fun for the group,” Yeagley said. “Nothing would be sweeter than coming here on the last day of the game, decision day if you will, with a chance at (the title).”
While fortune favored the Hoosiers on Friday night, they still are focused on the next day, and the next match ahead. Their first of their final conference clashes will come on Tuesday when they travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on Wisconsin.
