As the Big Ten men’s soccer tournament wraps up on Sunday, Indiana will not be taking part. In fact, the Hoosiers didn’t participate in any conference tournament after a fifth place finish in the regular season table, missing the Big Ten postseason festivities for the first time ever.
Still, the Hoosiers are primed to be one of the top teams in the national tournament. Despite struggling in conference play, their unbeaten non-conference record (7-0-1) and three wins over ranked opponents have put them in excellent position to be seeded in the 48-team bracket when it’s released Monday afternoon.
Here’s everything you need to know about Indiana going into the selection show.
Regular season recap
The Hoosiers started the season off on a promising note. Ranked No. 11 in the preseason polls, Indiana opened the year with a massive test against then-No. 9 Clemson, a 2-2 draw in Bloomington. The Hoosiers had to come from two goals down after a Tigers red card to earn their first points of the season.
Indiana’s first win of the year was also in come-from-behind fashion over San Francisco. Again, it was a two-goal deficit, but a brace from midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi helped the Hoosiers claim a 3-2 win.
The triumph over the 49ers was the first of five straight wins for Indiana, who eventually found themselves ranked No. 1 in the country as they went into conference play with an unbeaten record.
That invincibility wouldn’t last long, however. The Hoosiers dropped their first Big Ten test of the season 3-2 to Michigan after a last-minute penalty by Palmer Ault was saved in the dying seconds. It was the beginning of conference struggles which head coach Todd Yeagley’s team couldn’t completely shake, resulting in their first missed Big Ten tournament since it began in 1991.
The Hoosiers finished with a 5-5-0 conference record. Overall, they were 12-5-1.
Notable numbers
Even though it missed a chance at hardware before the national tournament, Indiana was still toward the top of the country in numerous statistics. The Hoosiers finished the regular season as the second-best offense in the nation, scoring 2.56 goals per game. That goalscoring effort has been led by Big Ten Player of the Year Palmer Ault.
Ault is tied for the national lead in goals scored (16) and is fifth in assists (10). His 42 points led both the Big Ten and the NCAA. As a result, Ault is one of the favorites to win this year’s MAC Hermann Trophy.
As a team, Indiana is ranked ninth in RPI (ratings percentage index), a system which weighs a team’s win percentage with their strength of schedule.
Indiana’s final record (12-5-1) has rightfully earned them one of the top 16 seeds in the tournament field. As of Oct. 14, when the selection committee released their initial top 16 teams, the Hoosiers slid in at No. 5 with a 9-3-1 record at the time. Despite struggling down the stretch, including road losses to No. 4 Maryland and unranked Northwestern, the Hoosiers have the resume to receive their 25th ever national tournament seed—an NCAA record.
Eye test
When watching the Hoosiers, the strengths of this year’s team are clear. When Ault and the offense is humming, it’s hard to stop Indiana. That said, catch the attack on an off day and the Hoosiers defense has proven to be leaky at times. Put together enough quality moments in front of net, and Indiana won’t hold you out forever.
Still, the experience of Indiana is a clear advantage, both on the field and on the sideline. Yeagley, the winningest coach in college soccer since he took over in Bloomington in 2009, will be coaching in his 16th consecutive postseason. Plus, the senior leadership of Ault, midfield captain Jack Wagoner, graduate student goalkeeper Holden Brown plus many others gives Indiana the mental edge over much of the field.
That said, Indiana will have to string together several solid performances in order to make the national championship game for the first time since 2022. They have the pieces to make it back, it’s just a matter of execution as the games become more and more important.
The NCAA men’s soccer tournament bracket reveal can be viewed on NCAA.com at 1 p.m. on Nov. 17.
