Indiana men’s soccer’s four-game winning streak came to an end following its 1-0 loss to Northwestern on Tuesday night.
Indiana had won its last three Big Ten matches after a slow start in conference play and was shooting up the conference standings. The Hoosiers came into the match with a chance to move to the top of the table with a win against the Wildcats, but they will remain in fourth place in the conference following the loss.
The Hoosiers started the match in their typical aggressive style, pressing Northwestern high up the pitch. The Wildcast struggled to deal with the pressure, unable to string passes together before losing the ball. Indiana dominated possession because of its effective pressing, creating goal scoring chances consistently.
However, Indiana’s finishing woes returned, as it failed to convert on multiple goal-scoring opportunities in the first half. The missed opportunities came back to bite Indiana after Northwestern sophomore defender Nigel Prince gave the Wildcats the lead in the 25th minute with a headed goal from a throw-in. Despite outshooting the Wildcats 8-2 in the first half, the Hoosiers went into halftime trailing.
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said his team deserved better in the first half, thinking they could turn it around in the second.
“I thought we controlled that entire half and were certainly the most dangerous team,” Yeagley said on the Big Ten Network broadcast following the first period of play. “If we play like we did in the first half I think goals will come for us.”
Indiana continued to dominate the match, but the goal never came for the Hoosiers. The chances were there, but the final finish or pass never was, and the Hoosiers failed to score the equalizer.
Indiana outshot Northwestern 21-4, only allowing the Wildcats to register one shot in the second half. Shooting inaccuracy was a problem for the Hoosiers as only three of their 21 shots were on goal. Indiana’s four-game streak of scoring multiple goals per match was also snapped Tuesday when the Hoosiers were shut out for the first time since Sept. 26 against Michigan.
A win Tuesday night would have given the Hoosiers the opportunity to clinch the Big Ten title in their last conference match against Rutgers on Oct. 29, but they will now need Penn State and Northwestern to both lose their last conference matches.
The Hoosiers return to non-conference play in their next match, taking on Trine University on Friday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The match is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten+.
Follow reporters Leo Paes (@Leordpaes) and Jovanni Salazar (@jio_duz_it) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
