SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The defense was tested. It battled. Ultimately, it bent.
But it didn’t break.
No. 4 Indiana men’s soccer earned a first-half advantage over the University of Notre Dame through junior forward Collins Oduro, exactly like it did against No. 16 Saint Louis University on Wednesday. And just like against the Billikens, the Hoosiers faced numerous chances, but the number on the scoreboard underneath “Fighting Irish” stayed a zero for the entire match.
The 1-0 victory over Notre Dame on Sunday at Alumni Stadium in South Bend marked Indiana’s fifth straight win and third straight clean sheet. Overall, it was a “good performance” to head coach Todd Yeagley — good enough to add another win to the ledger.
“There were some periods that they had,” Yeagley said postgame. “Although they had some danger on restarts, I thought from the run of play we did a really nice job not giving them a lot.”
Most of Notre Dame's chances came in the second half, and even still, it took until the 59th minute for the Fighting Irish to manage a shot on target. Their 10 total shots in the second 45 minutes brought Indiana trouble, which the Hoosiers mitigated throughout.
The best chance of the night for the Fighting Irish wasn’t even a chance at all. After a number of loud, angry shouts for a penalty, with the score still 1-0, the referee jogged to the monitor to determine whether Notre Dame’s claims were valid. But after a lengthy review for a physical foul, the decision was no penalty, and the Hoosiers and their fans could begin breathing again.
Much like the Saint Louis match, the final 20 minutes favored Notre Dame. But unlike the Billiken’s onslaught, the Fighting Irish failed to cleanly break through.
Part of the success was the backline’s rigidity and cohesive structure. The other part was sophomore defender Josh Maher.
“Josh is so steady, and he brings such a calming influence,” Yeagley said. “He knows how to move different players around, so he just makes other guys better. It’s really the best way to describe it.”
Maher left Indiana’s match with No. 3 Clemson University on Aug. 21 in the first half, and he didn’t return until the contest with Saint Louis. Yeagley noted Maher is still not 100% physically, yet it hasn’t impacted his play in the previous two games.
After starting next to junior defender Victor Akoum against the Tigers, Maher returned to the starting lineup Sept. 3 next to Breckin Minzey in the center of defense. Minzey, a 5-foot-11 redshirt junior, spent most of last season playing as a full back, but an offseason adjustment to center back has paid dividends so far this season.
Minzey’s speed and athleticism have paired seamlessly with Maher’s composure and ball-winning abilities. Few chances have come from behind the center backs with Minzey in a deeper position while Maher can push to defend.
The new pairing now means Akoum is the odd one out. However, his recent stint on the sideline doesn’t signal an end to his role in the backline. Yeagley’s offseason intentions included finding more defensive pieces to provide more versatility, so Akoum’s place in the rotation isn’t gone entirely.
But for the time being, Minzey and Maher are Indiana’s most dependable center backs.
“They’re obviously a good pairing,” Yeagley said. “And as we get Vic and other guys going to play where we think they can get to, then we’re only going to get better.”
Indiana's goalless streak has extended to 358 minutes. The 5-0-1 record is the best start since 1997 — when the Hoosiers only had three national championships.
But a more recent comparison draws similarities between this squad and Yeagley’s 2018 team, one which reached the College Cup and won the Big Ten Double.
A matchup with a top 10 Atlantic Coast Conference opponent kicked off the season, and it failed to result in a win for Indiana. Then the Hoosiers rattled off five-straight wins, including a 2-1 overtime victory over Notre Dame in South Bend — coincidentally, also their sixth game of the season. Four of the wins were accompanied by clean sheets.
The center back pairing featured Jack Maher, the first of the three brothers to join Indiana. Andrew Gutman — the future MAC Hermann Trophy winner — patrolled the left, while junior Alex Barger, another attack-minded fullback, has secured his position. Right back featured an “explosive,” 5-foot-8 fullback in Rece Buckmaster, similar to when Yeagley opts for 5-foot-8 graduate student Ben Do.
Only time will tell whether the 2025 Indiana squad will be able to rise to the level of the 2018 Hoosiers team, both through team success and individual merits.
But the players and staff have been clear that conference success is not the end goal. And if Sunday night’s win over Notre Dame signals anything, then Indiana’s hopes for a ninth star may be achievable.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer and matfuent@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men's soccer season.
