2023 was a year to remember for Indiana men’s soccer, as it won a share of the Big Ten regular season title and the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Similarly, Yale University conquered the Ivy League Tournament after a third-place finish in the regular season.
Now, the two conference tournament champions are set to meet in Bloomington, neither sporting a win on their record this season. But for the Hoosiers, the key is building on their impressive performance in the 2-2 draw against Notre Dame.
“I think we play like that, we’re going to have a lot of wins this season,” senior forward Tommy Mihalic said Aug. 29. “I’m excited for that.”
Confident freshmen emerging
Indiana’s first goal against the Fighting Irish featured a freshman-to-freshman connection, as center back Josh Maher assisted forward Michael Nesci, earning the duo their first collegiate assist and goal, respectively.
Through two games, Nesci is Indiana’s go-to off the bench. In the 2-0 defeat to Saint Louis, he produced energetic flashes in 60 minutes of game time. Those moments were rewarded with 57 minutes against Notre Dame, and Nesci took full advantage, generating two shots, including the equalizer.
“He’s a confident kid,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said Aug. 29. “You can see he doesn’t play like a typical freshman. He’s a goal scorer.”
Maher was the other top-performing freshman Yeagley highlighted after the Notre Dame match. Thrown into the starting lineup against the 2023 national championship runners-up, Maher delivered a calm, confident performance that triggered memories of his older brothers, Jack and Joey, two former Hoosier center backs.
“You look at him tonight, and you guys are like, ‘I’ve seen that before,’” Yeagley said. “He didn’t play like a freshman.”
Oduro injury concerns
In the 35th minute, sophomore forward Collins Oduro was forced off the field after a crunching tackle from Notre Dame senior defender Kyle Genenbacher, who received a yellow card for the challenge.
Oduro never returned, and although Yeagley had no definitive update after the game, he was quick to quell any major injury concerns.
“Just a bit of an ankle turn,” Yeagley said. “I think he’ll be fine for Sunday.”
In his freshman campaign, Oduro netted five goals and added two assists, earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors and Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Freshman Team. One of his best attributes was his fitness, as he was one of two Hoosiers to start all 24 games last season, but that feat will now be put to the test.
Introducing Yale
In its first double-digit win season since 2019, Yale won the Ivy League Tournament and clinched the only NCAA Tournament berth for the conference in 2023. Ultimately, their season ended in the second round, but the Bulldogs achieved their furthest showing in the tournament in over fifteen years, ending the year with an 11-6-3 record.
Key departures over the offseason included forward Eric Lagos, who graduated after scoring a team-high eight goals, and forward Max Rogers, who transferred to Maryland after contributing four goals and seven assists for the Bulldogs.
The retention of both senior midfielder Quanah Brayboy and senior goalkeeper Chris Edwards was crucial for Yale’s production. Brayboy provided nine assists in 2023, while Edwards played every minute in the season, accumulating 54 saves and eight shutouts.
Yale’s 2024 season began with a 1-0 home defeat to Marquette University, a squad which holds a 3-0 record and received three votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll.
Kickoff between the Hoosiers and the Bulldogs is slated for 8 p.m. Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
