Faced with a one-goal deficit with a half-hour remaining, Indiana men’s soccer couldn’t find a way to get off the back foot and generate momentum in its Big Ten road matchup with Michigan on Tuesday.
Frustration spread between the Hoosiers following a subpar offensive display in the first half, failure to put a single shot on target, sloppy passing sequences out of the back and an uncharacteristic lack of desperation summarized the opening period.
A different energy was required. Among a slew of Hoosier substitutions head coach Todd Yeagley made throughout the match, one stood out from the rest: redshirt senior defender Daniel Munie.
“They all know he’s a difference maker for us,” Yeagley said. “The group was excited to see that.”
Munie, a crucial veteran piece to Indiana’s back line, made his first appearance after a four-match absence from injury, dating back to Indiana’s match against then-No. 8 University of Akron on Sept. 9. In his limited time on the pitch, Munie orchestrated the Hoosiers’ comeback that turned a previously ugly performance into a 2-2 draw against the Wolverines.
“He did a good job because coming back after you’re out you can be a bit overanxious, trying to make plays that you shouldn’t,” Yeagley said about Munie. “He settled in the game fairly well, in a game that wasn’t necessarily easy to find that rhythm.”
Within five minutes of Munie’s arrival, the Hoosiers’ revived fighting spirit inspired a confidence-inducing attacking sequence that tied the match at 1-1. Sophomore forward Tommy Mihalic capped off a stretch of short passes with a curled strike from outside of the box, leaving only the sound of the rattling net booming over a silenced Wolverine crowd.
Tasked with overcoming another deficit after the Wolverines responded with their second goal a few minutes later, Munie took a more direct role in the Hoosiers’ forward push. By abandoning his central defensive role, Munie overwhelmed the Wolverines’ back line in the closing stages.
Indiana finally broke through Michigan’s compact defensive shape in the 82nd minute.
Munie positioned himself in the penalty area as the Hoosiers worked the ball around the edges, tapping home senior forward Karsen Henderlong’s hard-hit cross. A video review showed the cross potentially deflecting off a Michigan defender near Munie, but nonetheless Munie was awarded his seventh career goal.
Yeagley said Munie would feature in Sunday’s match in a limited capacity no matter how it played out up to the 60-minute mark. Reality forced Munie to take a more aggressive approach than usual to help the Hoosiers claw back from a losing position twice, and his physical response was promising.
“You can control yourself a little more in training, where you may not sprint after the ball,” Yeagley said about Munie’s recovery. “In the game, you need to. He got some of those today, so that’s really good. We’ll reassess (in the coming days).”
Yeagley has said Munie’s personality isn’t suited toward expressing his leadership vocally. However, when he entered the match against Michigan, his presence and body language spoke for him.
The message quickly resonated among the rest of the Hoosiers, and the team ultimately picked up an important point out of nothing toward their climb up the Big Ten table. With Munie’s composure and guidance back for good, the Hoosiers can get back to earning positive results through less complicated methods and starting matches on the front foot again.
“The group at times can’t catch themselves in the moment and get themselves out of it quick enough,” Yeagley. “That’s where we’re learning who can do that.”
Indiana will take a quick break from conference play in search of a statement victory against the University of Notre Dame at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Bloomington.
