It wasn’t long ago that No. 14 Indiana men’s soccer was winning games purely because of its defense.
The Hoosiers conceded one goal or fewer in four-straight games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7, with three clean sheets included. A 358-minute scoreless streak highlighted a defensive effort that helped propel the Hoosiers to their best start since 1997.
But soon the goals came — and they came in a hurry.
Three conceded against Michigan. One to both Penn State and Michigan State. Two to UCLA, three to Washington and another two to Ohio State.
The wins didn’t disappear entirely, as Indiana secured three through the first six conference matches, but they were not nearly as frequent as before. Its 12 goals in the three triumphs helped bring about the crucial Big Ten victories while the defense struggled to match its previous top form.
But against its final NCAA Division I nonconference opponent, the No. 25 University of Kentucky, Indiana’s defense returned to form — and the Hoosiers benefited greatly.
A first half concession was Indiana’s only blemish in a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats on Tuesday night at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
Multiple Hoosier faces returned to the pitch after extended stints on the bench, with Judewellin Michel the most notable. The freshman goalkeeper started the first match of the season against Clemson University on Aug. 21, but graduate student Holden Brown took over the starting role for the next 11 matches.
That changed Tuesday.
Michel’s first half featured two saves and the concession of a goal, his third allowed on the season. But in a pivotal second half comeback, he proved clutch in the final minutes.
First came a rocket from sophomore forward Joaquin Brizuela, which Michel parried cleanly to safety with just under seven minutes to play. Then came a sprawling save a minute and a half later, moving from one end of the goal to the other, to keep graduate defender Owen Mikoy’s header out of the net.
Redshirt freshman defender Nolan Kinsella also returned for only his second appearance since Sept. 13. He entered the match with three assists, and while he didn’t add to the tally Tuesday, his efforts won a penalty for Indiana in the 64th minute, which senior forward Palmer Ault slotted away for the equalizer.
Along with Kinsella, redshirt freshman defender Drew Gaydosh played the entire second half, his first minutes since Sept. 23. Alongside sophomore center back Josh Maher, the duo kept Kentucky scoreless in the final 45 minutes en route to the victory.
The match marked Indiana’s first with one goal conceded or fewer since Sept. 23. But with four Big Ten games still to play, a level of consistency will be paramount.
Of the four matches remaining, the Hoosiers face two of the bottom three teams in the Big Ten with Northwestern and Wisconsin. Both squads have only scored a goal or more in conference matchups once.
On the flip side, No. 8 Maryland and No. 13 Rutgers are the other two contests. The Terrapins are atop the Big Ten without a loss this season and with 13 goals in conference play, and the Scarlet Knights sit fourth in the Big Ten with eight conference goals and only two goalless outings.
The Hoosiers have opportunities left to achieve their third-straight Big Ten regular season title. Some will be against top competition with high scoring attacks; others will be against bottom dwellers that struggle to finish.
But as Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley has preached to his team, the only performance they can control is their own.
And if their defense continues to perform, the Hoosiers may be a problem down the stretch.
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.
