“Defense wins championships” is a tried-and-true phrase in sports. Indiana senior forward Oliver Moller-Jensen reiterated the saying after the Hoosiers’ 3-1 victory over the University of Notre Dame on Thursday.
The statement has rung true for Indiana men’s soccer in only two games this season. The No. 22 team in the country blanked the University of Evansville 3-0 on Sunday. Indiana’s backline stifled the Purple Aces attack near the box, allowing only two shots on goal during the 90 minutes at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington.
With the Purple Aces falling back and trying to withstand Indiana’s dangerous attacking group — even without junior forward Stephane Njike and senior forward Collins Oduro in the squad due to injuries — the Hoosiers did not fend off many advances into the final third for Evansville.
It only took until the 8th minute for the Purple Aces to record their first shot, as sophomore midfielder Chase Ricker fired an attempt from outside the box. But Indiana junior goalkeeper Michal Mroz swept up the ball easily, falling to his knees to pick it up.
Mroz has started between the sticks in each of Indiana's two matches this season after spending two seasons and 41 games with the Purple Aces he played against on Sunday night.
“He gives a lot of guys confidence,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “He can make big saves. He's been getting more composed.”
The Elk Grove, Illinois, native committed to Evansville after a strong youth career for FC United in the MLS Next, as the Chicago-based club helped propel Mroz into collegiate soccer.
During his two seasons at Evansville, Mroz became a premier player in the net. In 2024, Mroz was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team after starting all 21 matches and producing 4.10 saves per game. Mroz also finished second in the conference with five shutouts.
Despite the opportunity to enter the transfer portal, Mroz returned to the southern Indiana program for his sophomore season.
After being named captain, Mroz upped his goalkeeping play, earning the Missouri Valley’s Goalkeeper of the Year honor. With six clean sheets and a 0.95 goals against average, Mroz became the first Evansville player to win the award.
Finally entering the transfer portal in the offseason, Mroz’s stellar play with the Purple Aces caught Yeagley’s eye.
“We know what his quality is about,” Yeagley said during an Aug. 4 press conference. “He is already proven to be a very high-end collegiate keeper with a professional ability (in the) past.”
Indiana needed to find another starting keeper after losing graduate goalkeeper Holden Brown and then-freshman goalkeeper Judewellin Michel in the offseason.
With a step-up in competition looming during the Big Ten schedule, Mroz has shown quality in the Hoosiers’ first two games this season.
“He's been huge for us,” Indiana junior defender Josh Maher said postgame. “It's such a good addition to bring in an experienced goalkeeper like that ... Having that level of comfortability in the back for me and like for Nick (McHenry) and the whole back line, it helps a lot.”
During Sunday’s match, Mroz didn’t need to save another shot on target until the 62nd minute. In a similar fashion to the first shot, Mroz only needed to fall to his knees after a low shot from Evansville junior forward Alex Tura for a routine save.
Outside of the two shots and two corners for the Purple Aces, Mroz didn’t have to sweat many attacking efforts from Evansville. The relatively easy game for Indiana’s netminder was thanks to a strong performance from the Hoosiers’ defense.
Senior Alex Barger, with juniors Nick McHenry, Nolan Kinsella and Maher, have made up Indiana’s backline to start the season. The collection allowed four shots on goal against Notre Dame and two against Evansville.
Throughout the match, many balls played into the box were met by a foot or head of Indiana’s defense. Three of the Purple Aces’ six shots were blocked, including two after Evansville received a corner kick in the 60th minute.
With many Indiana defenders playing back and inside the box during Evansville’s corner attempts, senior forward Clay Murador blocked the first attempt, while junior midfielder Grant Paskus deflected the second shot.
The strong play from Indiana’s defense was helped by the continuity of returning options, as Barger, Maher and Kinsella all played in 15 or more games last season and were part of Indiana’s backline during the Hoosiers’ 1-0 loss to Saint Louis University in the NCAA Tournament.
McHenry transferred from Ohio State after starting 15 matches for the Buckeyes last season. As a natural midfielder, the 6-foot-3 McHenry has been a reliable defensive option for Yeagley to start the season.
“I think Nick's game continues to grow, and in particular, his defending,” Yeagley said. “He's very good. He reads the game well. He's very technical. He's got good athletic tools. He's good in the air.”
Those traits are shared by the rest of Indiana's defense as well. The Hoosiers also transitioned up the pitch, as Kinsella, McHenry and Barger all recorded a shot in Sunday’s match.
With Indiana continuing its homestand at Bill Armstrong Stadium against Butler University on Thursday, the Hoosiers will look to continue their strong defensive play. The Bulldogs enter Indiana’s third consecutive game against an in-state foe with a 0-1-1 record.
“Every single home game matters so much because when you get fans like this, like every single game so far. I mean, that's special,” Maher said.
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.
