Indiana men’s soccer’s 2-0 senior night win against Trine University featured multiple Hoosiers making their first starts of the season.
Prior to the match, head coach Todd Yeagley said the match would be an opportunity for players who haven’t played much this season to get some minutes. Eight changes were made to the lineup, including four players making their first starts of the season.
Senior defenders Lukas Hummel and Andrew Goldsworthy were among the new starters, and both played the entirety of the match. Hummel made his 13th career appearance for Indiana on Friday night and has had two assists in his time as a Hoosier.
Goldsworthy made his eighth career appearance for the Hoosiers and his second this season. The Bloomington native said he found out he was starting in Friday morning’s film session, and was excited for the opportunity.
“I was just so happy to hear my name called,” Goldsworthy said. “It means something else to play in front of this student section and these fans, especially in front of your home-town.”
Senior forward Nate Ward was also among the new starters, making his 55th appearance for the Hoosiers and his first this season. Ward has tallied two goals and two assists in his time with Indiana.
The Hoosiers asserted their dominance early in the match, creating chances from the wings. They took the lead in the 25th minute, following an unasissted goal from senior forward Maoloune Goumballe. Goumballe dribbled in between two defenders on the right side of Trine’s box and proceeded to blast the ball at the near post, scoring his first goal of the season.
Goldsworthy said he was excited to see Goumballe notch his first goal of the year.
“Maoloune is my roommate and I’ve been wanting him to get a goal for a long time,” Goldsworthy said.
Goumballe made his 100th career appearance against Trine, and his goal was his seventh in his collegiate career.
The Hoosiers kept pressuring the Thunder after the goal, looking to extend their narrow lead. After missing multiple goal-scoring chances, Indiana got its second goal just five minutes into the second half after junior forward Tommy Mihalic slotted the ball into the right side of the net. This was Mihalic’s first goal of the season, which Yeagley said was an important moment for the team going forward.
“This was a game where he really needed to get a goal,” Yeagley said. “It was a great finish too.”
The Hoosiers controlled the rest of the match and could’ve amplified their lead, but ended up staying with a 2-0 win.
Indiana will likely return to its regular lineup for its season finale against Rutgers on Sunday, but Yeagley said that effort is never a question with the players who got their first minutes of the season on Friday.
“They train everyday like their time could be tomorrow,” Yeagley said.
Indiana’s match against Rutgers is set to kick off at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium 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.
