Indiana men’s soccer’s defense had been a crucial factor in its first six matches of the season.
The Hoosiers had put up three consecutive clean sheets before their affair against Michigan on Saturday night, a match that opened Big Ten play for both teams.
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley viewed the defense's strides throughout the first six matches of the year as one that was “still improving” in a press conference on Sept. 9.
But Saturday was a different story for the Indiana defense — a match that the Hoosiers want back as they fell in a hard-fought battle to the Wolverines 3-2 at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington.
The first half, in particular, was sloppy for Indiana. Indiana’s defense wasn’t up to its usual caliber, allowing multiple scoring chances while also turning the ball over numerous times in its own defensive end.
Despite the turnovers and reckless play from the backline, in the 13th minute of play, Indiana’s graduate student goalkeeper Holden Brown made a spectacular save.
Michigan junior midfielder Joao Paulo Ramos received the ball outside the top of Indiana’s box before he fired away at Indiana’s net. Brown used all of his 6-foot-4 frame and jumped up to make the save that deflected off the crossbar. The ball then got pushed out to graduate student midfielder Raymundo Mendez, who shot at a seemingly empty net. But sophomore defender Josh Maher recognized the empty net, and after the ball was shot, he ran in and kicked it out.
With this disaster averted, the Hoosiers used that momentum to break through only minutes later.
Junior defender Alex Barger put the Hoosiers on the scoreboard in the 19th minute on a cross from redshirt freshman forward Nolan Kinsella. Barger used his left foot to guide the ball past Michigan junior goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson.
Michigan’s relentless pressure and physical style forced the Hoosiers to have a more defensive approach.
With only a minute left in the first half, Indiana committed a crucial error.
On a free run from Michigan, Maher and Brown miscommunicated, which led to a slip up. Instead of letting the ball bounce into the waiting hands of Brown, Maher opted to kick the ball out of play as he felt the Michigan attacker on his hip.
Maher’s kick resulted in a corner for the Wolverines, a corner that the visitors were able to take advantage of.
Indiana senior midfielder Cristiano Bruletti committed a handball in the box on the ensuing corner, which awarded the Wolverines a penalty kick, which they converted to tie the game 1-1.
After the game, Yeagley said the penalty was “frustrating,” but miscommunication is an area the Hoosiers need to work on.
“That was a tough giveaway at the end of the half,” Yeagley said. “That was an example of the miscommunication we had tonight, with Josh and Holden. Then it led to a corner, which then led to a penalty; that changes the game pretty quickly. We should’ve gotten through the half without giving up that one goal.”
Despite giving up a goal due to the sloppy play in the first half, Indiana’s defense appeared to steadily improve in the second half.
The Wolverines had seven corners in the first half but none in the second half — an area in which Yeagley feels his group built on as the match progressed.
“We gave them a couple of corners to start the game off; some were poor decisions,” Yeagley said. “They capitalized on one or two corners, and then it began to build for them. But I thought the defense bounced back.”
However, in the 71st minute, things changed in a drastic way for the Hoosiers.
After a foul was committed by Indiana redshirt sophomore midfielder Justin Shreffler, Michigan had a free kick from the left-center of the field.
Ramos took the free kick, hitting a lofting ball to the Indiana box. Michigan junior forward Kyle Pierson read the lofting ball and ran towards it. Pierson was left unmarked by the scrambling Hoosier defense, and the header from the junior rolled past Brown in net.
In the 81st minute, Indiana’s defense was left frozen on the run, letting junior defender Dylan Davis surgically move down the field before he found the unmarked junior forward Grayson Elmquist, who put it home for the Wolverines.
Down 3-1, Indiana desperately needed a response, which they would get from junior forward Collins Oduro.
Oduro sidestepped a couple of defenders before shooting a ball past Michigan’s diving Goldson. The goal from the Bibiani, Ghana, native pushed the Hoosiers within a one-goal deficit.
The goal from Oduro was his third goal in the last three matches, adding to the hot streak he’s had over the last week of action.
Indiana kept fighting — but it would ultimately end in a loss.
The Hoosiers drew a penalty with 39 seconds left in Michigan’s box, one that would end up being a penalty kick for senior forward Palmer Ault.
Ault stepped up and fired the penalty kick, only for the ball to hit off the post. As the time wound down, the Hoosiers left the field stunned while the Wolverines mobbed their goalkeeper in celebration.
The loss was Indiana’s first at home in 13 matches. Its last home loss came against Maryland on Sept. 21, 2024. With the loss tonight, Indiana no longer remains undefeated on the season.
Although it was a rough night in terms of the play from the backline, Yeagley knows his group will rebound from it.
“Yeah, ultimately, we need to do better communication-wise,” Yeagley said. “If we do that, we will be fine moving forward... our group will quickly get over this disappointing loss and realize that we’re in a good spot looking at the big picture.”
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.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated with the correct positions of junior defender Alex Barger and senior midfielder Cristiano Bruletti.
