Following its 2-0 victory over Yale University on Sept. 1, Indiana men’s soccer appeared to be building momentum. The Hoosiers secured back-to-back matches with two goals, a mark the Hoosiers didn’t reach until Oct. 7 last season.
But that momentum faltered, as Indiana settled for a 1-1 draw with Butler University on Sept. 4, filled with missed opportunities and wasted chances.
Monday’s matchup with the University of Dayton provides the Hoosiers with a chance to regroup, as the game will also be the last before Indiana begins Big Ten play against Rutgers on Friday.
Final third opportunities
Head coach Todd Yeagley made it clear he was not pleased with Indiana’s performance in the final third against Butler.
“We had a couple opportunities to drive more with the ball and really commit,” Yeagley said postgame. “I thought we had a couple opportunities to actually finish instead of pass. And I thought we overpassed.”
The Hoosiers weren’t particularly clinical in the Yale match, scoring two goals on 16 total shots. But an early goal and consistent pressure never allowed the Bulldogs into the match.
Conversely, Butler managed to overcome Indiana’s first half goal after multiple quality chances were wasted by the Hoosier attackers.
Besides its one defeat, Dayton has conceded two goals in three wins. It's likely Indiana will need its attackers to be more decisive if it is to win Monday’s game.
Tommy Mihalic's hot and cold play
Despite only two goals in 2023, forward Tommy Mihalic played a crucial role in Indiana’s Big Ten regular season and tournament title. Yeagley said he could appreciate what the senior brought for the team beyond goalscoring, which proved hard to come by.
The 2024 campaign has featured Mihalic at the helm, as he already has three goals and produced an exceptional performance against Yale that Yeagley felt was impressive even without the goals factored in.
This was not the case against Butler.
After scoring a penalty against Yale a game before, Mihalic stepped up to the spot once again, but his chipped effort sailed over the bar, keeping the match at 1-0. The miss would prove to be costly, as Butler equalized in the second half and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Yeagley mentioned postgame he felt Mihalic wasn’t on top form throughout the match, leading to only 47 minutes of gametime for the senior. But no matter the reason, Indiana and Mihalic will both benefit from a rebound performance against Dayton.
Meet the Flyers
Dayton finished with an 8-7-6 record in 2023, securing a bid to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Virginia Commonwealth University in the final of the Atlantic 10 conference tournament.
The Flyers enter Monday’s matchup with a 3-1 record after winning both matches in the Ohio State Wolstein Classic last weekend. They average three goals a game in 2024, with senior forward Ethan Sassine contributing three goals and junior midfielder Joseph Melto Quiah tallying two goals and three assists.
Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. Monday at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Coverage will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
