It was a preseason game. Four periods, 30 minutes each. Squad rotation was a given, and the result would inevitably be lost to history.
That didn’t stop No. 11 Indiana men’s soccer from producing a dominating performance.
After 120 minutes of game action Monday night, the Hoosiers walked off the field with a 5-0 victory over No. 20 Western Michigan University at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. The result was critical and encouraging, but Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley knows to take these games with a level of caution.
“You can’t put too much stock into the preseason result,” Yeagley said postgame. “I don’t want to be dismissive to our group, because (Western Michigan’s) a good team and there’s some good players, but we’ll just assess it in little baby steps as we get going.”
Indiana made their presence known early in the match, controlling most of the possession. Then, after only eight minutes, the Hoosiers broke the deadlock with a set piece goal scored by freshman forward Colton Swan.
The Detroit native entered the match as the only freshman to crack the starting lineup. Yeagley’s decision to give the nod to Swan proved successful with the finish, which was merely the cherry on top of a positive performance.
“He’s a strong kid, he’s fantastic in the air,” Yeagley said. “Western center backs are big and strong, so I thought when we did play into his body that we had good movement underneath."
Providing the assist to Swan’s first goal in a Hoosier uniform was sophomore Charlie Heuer, who made his impact felt all across the pitch in his 75 minutes of action.
The Elmhurst, Illinois, native started the game in the midfield next to senior captain Jack Wagoner, effectively taking over the role of Patrick McDonald. Wagoner, who spent three seasons playing next to McDonald in the midfield, sees many similarities between the two players, but Heuer’s attacking abilities is what gives the Hoosier midfield an added wrinkle.
“We let him have the green light,” Wagoner said. “I’ll stay at home and I’ll clean other things up. It’s very fun playing with him, he’s super creative with it.”
Just five minutes into the second period, Indiana senior forward Palmer Ault collided heads with a Broncos defender, forcing him to leave the game. With capable attackers on his bench, Yeagley instead opted to move Heuer to the front line while bringing on Michigan State senior transfer Cristiano Bruletti to take his place.
This decision was quickly validated.
Almost 20 minutes after the change, a sloppy pass in the Broncos backline landed at Heuer’s feet. He fired a quick pass to junior winger Clay Murador, who then found Bruletti, and the Commerce Township, Michigan, native netted Indiana’s second with a first-time finish. Five minutes later, redshirt sophomore midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi slipped Heuer through, and the sophomore slotted his effort into the bottom corner of the net for the Hoosiers’ third goal.
Moving from the middle of the park to the front line didn’t affect Heuer’s influence on the game. Mentally, he wasn’t affected by the change either.
“I think it’s just that mentality when you put this shirt on, there’s pressure that comes with it but it’s a privilege and you got to uphold that standard,” Heuer said “I think that’s the same standard, whether I’m playing the 10, the eight (or) if I’m playing wherever coach needs me.”
Whether it’s in his finishing or his set pieces, Heuer has made significant strides since the end of last season, one which ended on a high note for him. His offseason was not one of complacency but rather improvement, and the impact is beginning to show.
“He took the summer, really dug in, did a great job training (and) putting himself in some tough environments,” Yeagley said. “His performance right now in preseason is as good as I’ve seen, certainly from Charlie, but even many players in that role. He’s really been impressive.”
In the final 60 minutes, the Hoosiers featured many rotational players, but their positive play never ceased.
Murador — building off of his assist in the second period — provided another opportunity from the left wing. His low cross into the box found Swan, but the freshman’s dummy left a perfect opportunity for freshman forward Jayvyn Jackson to slam the ball home for the fourth goal of the game.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Reidell capped of the evening with the Hoosiers’ fifth and final goal, finishing a chance at the back post off a corner delivery from redshirt junior midfielder Seth Stewart.
As the final whistle blew, the Bill Armstrong Stadium scoreboard reflected two critical developments — Indiana’s clinical finishing with five goals from only 12 shots as well as their impressive defensive performance. The Hoosiers allowed eight Broncos shots and only graduate student goalkeeper Holden Brown — who split time with freshman Judewellin Michel — was forced to make a save in the shutout.
With only one preseason game left, a Saturday night matchup against the University of Louisville in Bloomington, the Hoosiers are aiming to produce another quality performance against a competitive side. Then five days later, Indiana faces No. 9 Clemson University in the season opener.
But the Hoosiers aren’t ready to start thinking about the Tigers — their mindset is still one game at a time.
"You can’t look too far ahead, so it’s just Louisville right now,” Wagoner said. “But it’ll be another quality opponent, and hopefully we get another good result and continue to build.”
Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer covers Indiana men’s soccer for the Indiana Daily Student. You can follow him at @mateo_frohwer on X and contact him via email at matfuent@iu.edu.
