INDIANAPOLIS — A ball boy threw his hands to his head in disbelief when he saw the ball sail over the crossbar.
Butler University graduate goalkeeper Caleb Norris pumped his fists and briefly celebrated with a couple teammates. And then there was Indiana men’s soccer senior forward Tommy Mihalic, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead and walking away with his head pointed toward the turf.
In Indiana’s 1-1 draw with Butler on Wednesday night at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl, Mihalic soared a penalty kick over the goal roughly 25 minutes into the first half. He was subbed off the pitch 30 seconds after the miss and only played 47 total minutes in the match.
“He didn’t play very well,” head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “Not the missed penalty, but he just didn’t have a good game. He’s been good, but I didn’t think he brought a lot in the second half.”
Mihalic — the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week — scored three goals across two games against the University of Notre Dame and Yale University. That tally alone eclipsed his goal total from 2023.
Yeagley said after Indiana’s 2-2 draw with Notre Dame he felt Mihalic was regaining confidence. Sending Mihalic to the penalty spot Wednesday night only reaffirmed that claim, but the wasted chance left a bitter taste for Yeagley, who’s now witnessed two missed penalty kicks this young season.
“That’s disappointing,” Yeagley said.
Just before Butler’s handball violation in the box, though, Indiana failed to capitalize on a dangerous attack. Sophomore forward Collins Oduro, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the Hoosiers’ win over Yale due to an ankle injury, possessed the ball with three teammates flanking him opposite just two Bulldog defenders.
Oduro hesitated with indecision, seemingly puzzled by what action to pursue. He opted for a shot and Indiana came up empty, a theme that would persist throughout the night.
“We weren’t even that sharp on the night,” Yeagley said. “But yet, the chances that we got were really good, clear attacks. That was the disappointment.”
By halftime, Indiana led in shots and possession, with a 56% to 44% advantage in the latter. Yeagley lauded fifth-year senior defender Jansen Miller and junior defender Quinton Elliot for their efforts through the first 45 minutes.
Still, Indiana was crisp at the outset. A little over 11 minutes into the match, Mihalic dropped a pass to senior midfielder Patrick McDonald outside the 18-yard box. McDonald, without any reluctance, rocketed a left-footed strike into the top corner to open the scoring.
Have a hit, Patty! ?@pmcdonald0 | #IUMS pic.twitter.com/DFjBdiBPnG
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) September 4, 2024
Tuesday afternoon, Yeagley stressed the need for Elliot — a University of Louisville transfer — to become more involved in the attack. Against Butler, Elliot made a concerted effort to burst on overlapping runs down the wing and pepper crosses into the box.
And still, while the Hoosiers undoubtedly outplayed the Bulldogs heading into the break, there was a palpable sense that the lead wasn’t safe.
Just under 20 minutes into the second half, Butler equalized. Indiana sophomore defender Alex Barger was left on an island jostling with Bulldogs’ sophomore forward Ryan Hannosh.
Barger attempted to shield Hannosh from the ball as it rolled towards senior goalkeeper JT Harms, but it was futile. Hannosh powered through Barger and calmly tucked a shot past Harms’ outstretched left leg.
Barger, lying flat on the turf after the goal, pleaded along with Elliot for a foul call that would never come.
A win Wednesday night would’ve marked Indiana’s second straight and infused added momentum with conference play on the horizon.
“It feels like it slipped,” Yeagley said. “I don’t really like ties.”
RYAN HANNOSH WITH THE EQUALIZER ‼️ #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/dQGIvDLvUQ
— Butler Men's Soccer (@ButlerMSoccer) September 5, 2024
With graduate forward Justin Weiss held out of the match due to a nagging injury, redshirt sophomore Seth Stewart made his first collegiate start. Stewart hounded Butler’s backline with Oduro and sophomore Clay Murador, who logged 36 minutes off the bench.
But for all the youthful contributions, senior forward Sam Sarver was the centerpiece of the bulk of Indiana’s attacks. Sarver played the full 90 minutes, frequently being dragged to the turf by Butler defenders.
Yet the uncertainty in decision-making encapsulated Sarver’s performance. On a couple breakaways in the second half, Sarver had angles to fire a shot but chose to make an extra pass.
“I thought we had a couple opportunities to actually finish instead of pass,” Yeagley said. “I thought we overpassed.”
With the draw, Indiana moved to 1-1-2 on the season. The Hoosiers return Sept. 9 to Bill Armstrong Stadium in a matchup with the University of Dayton, and while Yeagley disregarded any “big picture” concerns, he understands the urgency of turning these ties into wins.
“Just make sure their heads are up,” Yeagley said. “You can’t have continued slippages.”
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
