No. 22 Indiana men’s soccer continued to roll on Sunday, withstanding the University of Evansville by a final score of 3-0, and remaining undefeated on the season.
For the second consecutive game, Indiana lacked its pair of star forwards; senior Collins Oduro and junior Stephane Njike rode the pine once again, opening a window for senior Clay Murador to make his first start of the season.
Head coach Todd Yeagley penciled three forwards into the starting 11, opting to move senior Oliver Moller-Jensen to midfield for the evening, a strategy Hoosier fans may have to get used to with the surplus of talent on the Indiana roster.
“We had some unavailability today,” Moller-Jensen said postgame. “It’s a role where I’m very comfortable, so I did my best.”
With Evansville in town, Indiana had an excellent opportunity to prove the depth of its roster, which is still full of fresh faces. Six total Indiana forwards touched the field, fulfilling a total of 276 minutes for a Hoosier roster desperate for help at the forward position.
After seven off-target shots to open the night, Indiana finally found the back of the net in the 34th minute — a bottom-right shot by junior midfielder Charlie Heuer. Heuer, by way of Sunday’s opening goal, matched his season total of one from last year.
Redshirt sophomore defender Nolan Kinsella tallied the Hoosiers’ first shot on goal, which was saved by Evansville’s fifth-year goalkeeper Hugo Amo, before Heuer netted the first of the evening on the rebound.
It was a quiet first half in Bloomington, with just three shots on goal between the two teams. Indiana’s offense had its fair share of opportunities, evident by eight first half shots, but had difficulty staying on target.
Over half an hour of game clock passed between Hoosier goals, before junior forward Easton Bogard eventually scored the insurance goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Moller-Jensen's second assist in two games.
“(Bogard’s) an example,” Yeagley said postgame. “Of a lot of strikers, they get more confident as they mature.”
The second half appeared just as climactic as the first, with only 11 shots between the two teams in the half. Both sides played strong defense, but Indiana was able to create more opportunities to score; the team earned eight corner kicks on Sunday but was unable to convert one into a goal.
Evansville hurt themselves throughout the game, committing 14 fouls, to Indiana’s six, and four yellow cards. The Hoosiers found themselves in their own yellow card trouble with three, resulting in a few early substitutions.
“We just can’t afford to have any issues,” Yeagley said. “We have a disciplined group, but it might just be a silly, tactical foul, or maybe the interpretation of the ref that you just don’t want to leave up to them.”
While the Purple Aces’ defensive front delivered a strong performance, Indiana’s deep stash of strikers outlasted Evansville’s preventative defense. Indiana scored three goals on just five shots on goal, proving Indiana's scoring capability can come without creating opportunity.
Moller-Jensen sealed the win for Indiana in the 85th minute, notching his third goal of the season to put the game out of reach. With this, Moller-Jensen has earned a point on all but one of Indiana’s goals this season, garnering eight points in just two games.
With absences on the forward line continuing to be an early story for this Indiana team, Moller-Jensen's scoring surge will support the highly-anticipated returning pair of strikers.
The Hoosier defense once again helped junior goalkeeper Michal Mroz, requiring him to make only two saves in the match and bringing his season total to just five.
Another three-goal game also supported the defense effort, not forcing the backline to play with a deficit.
“It helps a lot,” junior defender Josh Maher said postgame. “When guys like that are scoring bunches of goals, it makes our lives a lot easier.”
Indiana will look to bring a fully healthy lineup to Thursday’s home matchup against Butler University, though some statuses are still up in the air. However, the voids of Oduro and Njike have not hindered the Hoosiers’ scoring ability.
“We have other guys that can be scoring threats,” Yeagley said. “But we’re going to get these guys back really soon.”
With Indiana earning two early victories without Oduro and Njike, a healthy lineup would be welcomed by the rest of the Hoosiers.
“I look forward to playing with such good talent,” Moller-Jensen said. “I can’t see why I wouldn’t enjoy that.”
Indiana men’s soccer will continue its season with the third of three in-state games, with Butler coming to Bloomington at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Follow reporters Noah Boudouris (@noahboudouris and nboudour@iu.edu) and Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
