The Hoosiers look for consecutive wins for the first time this season following their 1-0 win against Butler University on Tuesday.
Before Tuesday’s win against Butler, the Hoosiers had a rough two-game stretch in which they failed to both win or score in each match. They now hope to carry the momentum of the win into their second conference match when they visit the Michigan State Spartans on Friday.
Indiana opened its Big Ten slate with a 0-0 draw against Wisconsin and now looks to get its first conference win against Michigan State.
[Related: No. 23 Indiana men’s soccer ties Wisconsin in first Big Ten matchup of season]
Here’s what to watch when the Hoosiers take on the undefeated Spartans:
Undefeated Spartans
Michigan State has yet to lose this season and most recently drew 1-1 against Rutgers. With their match against Rutgers being their conference opener, the Spartans will also be looking for their first conference win.
The Spartans come into this match with a 4-0-2 record, headlined by a win over No. 15 University of Notre Dame — a team Indiana tied. They have scored eight goals this season and average 13 shots per game, but have allowed opponents to average nearly 11 shots a match.
In comparison, Indiana has scored five goals this season and averages 16 shots per game, while limiting opponents to six shots a match.
[Related: Indiana men’s soccer draws against Notre Dame in a game full of Debuts]
Friday’s match could turn into an end-to-end spectacle as Michigan State has shown its willingness to launch forward even if it means conceding chances to the opposition.
Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan and sophomore defender Jeremy Sharp headline the Spartans. Kerrigan leads the Spartans with two goals while Sharp has shown playmaking abilities by providing three assists for his team this season.
Indiana faced off against Michigan State last season in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. The draw brought the Hoosiers’ overall record against the Spartans to 43-8-6 and marked the ninth consecutive match in which Michigan State failed to beat the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s offensive improvements
Following the match against Wisconsin, head coach Todd Yeagley described his team as stagnant when going forward and wanted to see improvements in that facet of the game.
He saw an immediate response from his team against Butler as Indiana scored within the first 10 minutes of the match. The Hoosiers continued to create chances after junior forward Sam Sarver’s goal and nearly added to their lead on multiple occasions throughout the match.
“The second goal was on its way,” Yeagley said following the win against Butler.
He also said he believed they should have scored two more goals late in the match following some counterattacks.
[Related: Indiana men’s soccer shakes things up, reap results against Butler]
Yeagley altered the attack by moving players to different positions on the field, something that hasn’t been ruled out for Friday. He previously said positional movement in the front line can change from game to game and will depend on matchups.
The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at DeMartin Soccer Stadium and will be available to stream on Big Ten Plus.
