Although IU men’s soccer has remained unbeaten, prior to Indiana’s top-15 match on Sunday night against No. 14 Oregon State, the Hoosiers had yet to take a lead into the match.
However, that all changed when Palmer Ault’s two-goal performance led the Hoosiers to a dominant 2-0 victory over the Beavers to help No. 7 Indiana remain undefeated in the 2025 season.
“When I come out on the field, I try to see what I can see and make plays when the moment presents itself,” Ault said following the match. “The game plan was followed to perfection tonight, and it put me in a lot of opportunities to score.”
From the first kick, IU was aggressive in all facets of the game and forced Oregon State into some early mistakes and sloppy play. This culminated in the 17th minute when a Collins Oduro pass was deflected off the hand of an Oregon State defender in the box, which set Ault up for the opening goal from the penalty spot.
Even with the lead, the Hoosiers didn’t stop looking to capitalize. By halftime, IU led the shot margin widely. Continued aggression on the offensive side with lockdown support in the back line helped Indiana jump out to a 12-1 shot margin before halftime.
“[The first half was] really good,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said. “I think we could’ve had a few more, but that’s really good. So far from what I’ve seen, whether it’s in spring or in training, that’s the margin we want to be at as a team…they’re very good and we did everything. They couldn’t do a thing.”
Oregon State came out of halftime with a newfound aggression, but the Hoosiers were ready for it and hunkered down well on the defensive side. Composed play from defenders Victor Akoum and Breckin Minzey helped anchor the Hoosiers, and four key saves from goalkeeper Holden Brown helped keep the sheet clean.
“I think Holden, most importantly, I think he gave us a lot of confidence tonight,” Yeagley said. “He hasn’t played a while, and it takes a little bit to get back. He had a big save in the last game, and I think he needed that moment. I’m happy for him; we gave him the game ball tonight.”
Although the Beavers were delivering some swings to Indiana’s defense, Ault found the back of the net once again in the 46th minute to deliver the knockout punch. Michael Nesci, who subbed in for Indiana in the 34th minute, was credited with the assist.
After battling back from trailing the first three games of the season, Indiana can now say they’ve earned a lead and kept it throughout the match. Along with that, with a dominant victory against a talented, ranked opponent, confidence and comfort continue to grow heading into the final stretch of the nonconference season.
“This is a real tough start to the season,” Ault said. “But again, it’s been a great transition to come into an environment where it’s all about the team and it’s all about winning games at the end of the day. Tonight was a great win, a great shutout from the defense, but again, now it’s all eyes on Wednesday.”
The Hoosiers host St. Louis inside Bill Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 3. First kick is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern.
