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(11/26/18 2:00am)
Indiana midfielder Trevor Swartz’s ability as a facilitator has put him on the cusp of history.
Heading into Sunday’s Sweet 16 matchup with Air Force, Swartz sat one assist away from tying head coach Todd Yeagley’s best single season assist total which was third in Indiana program history. It was a mark clearly on Swartz’s mind before his two-assist performance against the Falcons.
“I was happy for him,” Yeagley said. “I told him it was coming and he came right over after he did it and just said ‘I got it coach.’ So, I’m glad he was focused on the game and not beating my assist record… Couldn’t be happier for a kid. Records are meant to be broken.”
Swartz’s two assists put him at 15 for the season and five in his first two games of the NCAA Tournament. He now sits three assists behind the program record with a level of confidence fueled by some of the best soccer he has played in his entire career.
“I’m probably in the best form, having my best year, it’s my senior year and I think you expect that as a player,” Swartz said.
The common cliché of postseason sports is to always look out for the team that gets hot right before the playoffs. It’s a cliché, because it’s accurate, and Swartz embodies that.
After three assists against UConn, Swartz was the driving force behind Indiana’s win Sunday.
With Air Force man-marking on defense, defender Andrew Gutman was forced to stay back defensively on the left side of the field. That put all of the focus on Swartz.
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1066754765558874113[/embed]
Right off the bat in the sixth minute, Swartz sent a finessed ball into the box to the far post for an easy finish from midfielder Austin Panchot.
On the Big Ten Network broadcast, former Hoosier Patrick Doody called the cross “cheeky.” It was appropriate at the time, but probably would have been better suited for Swartz’s efforts in the 22nd minute.
Set up on the right side of the box, Swartz fizzed a ball to the back post where only Timmy Mehl could get his head on it for the second goal of the game. It was exceptional and yet expected.
This is how Swartz has made a name for himself all season. He doesn’t stand out in the typical fashion of a goal scorer, rather he propels the rest of his team as elite facilitator. It’s a trait that Swartz knows he’ll need to master in order to make it in professional soccer and it’s a trait that his followed him from the very beginning.
“Ever since I was little growing up developing as a player I was never the most athletic, not the quickest,” Swartz said. “So you’ve gotta think fast. You’ve gotta see passing lanes and I think just throughout my whole life I just had to do that and it’s paying off right now.”
Even though Indiana’s senior midfielder isn’t a major goal scorer, at this point in the season, he has the confidence of one.
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1066798617564991488[/embed]
“It’s like a goal scorer right now,” Yeagley said. “He’s confident because of his success that’s booming with him. And second, he works at it. He’s diligent after practice. He spends time with Andrew and others you know to work on uncontested restarts and finds those spots that we look for. He’s a student of the game. When we give them scout details he’s locked in. Trevor in his next life could be an excellent coach, because his attention to details is as good as anyone on this team.”
The confidence and work ethic that fuels Swartz’s crosses has done one main thing for his teammates. It has made things easy for them.
“We’re all confident Trev’s gonna hit the spot,” Indiana defender Timmy Mehl said. “We just try to get to our spot and if we get there it’s pretty much an open header.”
That’s how Swartz wants it. On the second goal of the game, Swartz’s cross into the back post looked to potentially been a trajectory to the back of the net even if it didn’t connect with the head of Mehl. Luckily for Swartz, he got what he wanted.
“Ooo…no no way,” Swartz said. “I wanted the assist.”
Swartz’s desired assist gives him a rare opportunity. With 15 assists on the season, he now has bragging rights on his head coach.
“I’ll rub it in later,” Swartz said.
(11/25/18 7:00pm)
The Hoosiers are officially back in the Elite Eight after seemingly controlling the Air Force Falcons for the entirety of 90 minutes on their way to a 2-0 win.
Indiana looks to be playing its best soccer of the season. With Justin Rennicks back from international duties, the full strength Hoosiers opened up the field and created various type of chances.
Air Force came into the match with one of the best attacks in the nation, and it were neutralized by a calm Indiana backline. Air Force got forward well, but never created much in the final third as Trey Muse only needed to make one save.
Here’s three takeaways from Sunday’s match:
Trevor Swartz is playing the best soccer of his career
With five assists in the NCAA Tournament so far, and 15 on the season, there is no player that looks more in form on this team than Swartz. As a facilitator, every time he has the ball in space it is an opportunity to see something special. In the 6th minute of the match, Swartz made a run down the flank, sent a curling ball into the box just out of the reach of Rennicks, but right to the feet of Austin Panchot for the first goal of the game.
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1066754765558874113[/embed]
Less than 15 minutes later, Swartz took a set piece from the right side of the box from an incredibly difficult angle. He then curled it towards the far post at a perfect pace for Timmy Mehl's head. Mehl got the goal, but the set piece was so well placed that it could have gone in without Mehl's deflection.
Swartz's 15 assists now put him at third all-time for assists in a season at Indiana. Swartz's second assist helped him pass Todd Yeagley and pull him within three of the record. His 15 assists are the most for Indiana since 1989.
Indiana's midfield looked fantastic
Indiana's biggest concern coming into the match was going to be Tucker Bone. Bone is one of the best midfielders in the nation, and the Hoosier midfield contained him. Francesco Moore was especially strong defensively, but only made it through two thirds of the match. Moore left the game in the 60th minute with what appears to be a lower body injury. Moore pulled up without any contact and his injury will be one to watch moving forward.
Even without him in the match, Bone couldn't take advantage. Buckmaster and Gutjahr were in front of him throughout.
Confidence
This is the best form of the season for Indiana, and the team knows that. There is no hesitation from anyone on this team, and it's scary. Last week, Andrew Gutman said you don't want to be a team in Indiana's way.
He's right. This looks as poised as ever and it's noticeable in practice and in the match.
(11/23/18 7:09am)
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley entered this season needing to fill the void of former Hoosier striker Mason Toye.
Toye left the team to join Minnesota United after scoring 10 goals in his freshman season. With that in mind, Yeagley expected to replace that production with various individuals. He didn’t expect there to be another 10-goal scorer on his roster, while also not ruling out the possibility.
“We always say it would be great to have a 10-goal scorer…” Yeagley said before the Hoosiers first game of the season. “It’s not out of the question. It might come down more realistically to a lot of five to eights.”
That sentiment came with assertions about the potential of forwards Justin Rennicks and Cory Thomas, who could have come close to that 10-goal mark.
The name that was never mentioned, was Indiana’s eventual leading scorer.
With 11 goals so far this season, Indiana left back Andrew Gutman is doing the unprecedented.
Gutman has reimagined what it means to be a defender, and ultimately proved game after game that he is deserving of the Mac Hermann Trophy.
“To me, he’s the best player in college soccer,” Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski told The Diamondback after Gutman scored twice against Maryland in October. “He plays left back, but he’s very dangerous going forward. [Indiana] needed him, and he came through.”
Gutman’s 11 goals have only served as a piece to the entire puzzle.
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“His movement off the ball is unreal,” Maryland forward Paul Bin told The Diamondback after facing Gutman in October. “I’ve never played a player in the Big Ten as good as him moving off the ball, creating space for other players…He’s just so energetic and it was a tough challenge for me. He really is one of the best college players I’ve seen.”
Gutman’s talent on the ball has not only put him in front of net, but it has also helped him as a facilitator. The senior has tallied together eight assists this season with crosses into the box and low balls down the flanks.
His production puts him at the top in goals, assists, and points, among defenders. Among those that play on the offensive side of the ball, Gutman’s greatest differentiator has been the importance of those stats.
“In my opinion, and I know the kid from Denver (Andre Shinyashiki) is really good he has scored a lot goals, but you know he didn’t score against Maryland, he didn’t score against Virginia,” Big Ten Network Broadcaster Dean Linke said. “Andrew Gutman scores against everybody, and from the left back position. I think he should win the MAC Hermann Trophy. I hope the coaches hang on to their ballots until the quarterfinals. To me, that kid is the best soccer player in the country.”
Seven of Gutman’s 11 goals this season have been game winners, including his nearly “walk-off” winner against Maryland with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.
(11/15/18 5:37pm)
It may at times go unnoticed, but every player on a successful team has a role.
Winning teams require buy-in from every individual from the end of the bench to the top of the rotation. Each individual needs to be willing to do the little things that come together to make a team great.
This mentality embodies Indiana redshirt freshman John Bannec, whose role goes beyond imagination.
Prior to Indiana’s midweek matchup against in-state rival Butler on October 16, Indiana midfielder Trevor Swartz found himself in need.
Looking around the Indiana locker room, Swartz scrambled in search of one of the most under appreciated elements of a soccer player. Swartz had lost his shin guards. Luckily for him, his teammate was there for him when he needed it most.
“I was like ‘Hey Trev you can have some of mine, but you know these shin guards aren’t for just anybody,” Bannec said. “’You gotta be able to live up to them.’ He was like ‘then I don’t know if I wanna have them.’ And I was like ‘I mean, I think you can live up to it, you just gotta know the capability, the expectation that you have when you wear these shin guards.’”
Bannec’s generosity went to show how every player on Indiana can contribute. It also helped to further his relationship with Swartz.
“I wear John Bannec’s shin guards on gamedays,” Swartz said. “I don’t know why. I got two assists in them, so I just kept wearing them because I forgot mine. I’ve been wearing them since the two-assist performance at Butler. Now it’s our thing. It’s kinda weird.”
As odd as Swartz’s new tradition is, it seems to have produced results. Swartz followed up his two-assist performance with his first goal of the season, a game winning goal, against Rutgers.
“I told him, you know, I’m glad I could give him a little luck, but I’m gonna need those back,” Bannec said.
The Hoosiers have yet to lose with Bannec’s shin guards on the field. It’s rare that a small gesture such as this one will draw attention from head coach Todd Yeagley, but when it comes to wins and losses, Yeagley takes notice.
“Whatever it takes to give someone an edge,” Yeagley said. “I think that’s great so, Bannec, doing his job. He’s doing his job everyday at practice, but if it’s the shin guard trick then we’ll give John, an extra, maybe give him an assist, maybe give him extra added on to Trevor’s.”
In addition to the wins Indiana has racked up since Bannec offered up his trusted shin guards, individually, Swartz was also named to the All-Big Ten Second Team. It’s an honor that raises an important question. Shouldn’t that honor have gone to Bannec’s shin guards?
“Oh, 100 percent, my shin guards,” Bannec said. “Not him at all.”
Diving even deeper, it’s important to even consider whether any other shin guards in the nation have had as much of an impact as Bannec’s.
“TopDrawerSoccer should be here,” Bannec said. “They should be giving me this interview. I’m sorry, like you know you’re a great journalist, it’s whatever, but I should be getting some recognition from the NCAA. I mean these shin guard have gone through a lot. They’re dirty. They’ve won all-states in high school. They made it here to IU. They belong in a safe after I leave, and I think I might even hand them down to someone. They’re that special.”
Beyond the comedy of it all, Bannec’s actions serve as a microcosm of a team that supports each other.
As a redshirt freshman on a team fueled by its senior class, Bannec is biding his time. His work on the pitch in practice is what helps the seniors around him get better. It’s also the work that will serve him best next year when a new opportunity arises.
“It’s what I’m really hoping for, what I’m pushing for,” Bannec said. “I think I got a really big offseason ahead of me. There are a lot of roles that are leaving. Possibly 10 out of our 11 starters if you really think about the potential to go pro. That’s a lot of spots and me being a left sided player, some big shoes to fill with Gutman and possible Cory. We’ll see how it goes and I’m really ready to grind, put my head down, and hopefully head towards that point of starting.”
That drive and passion to get on the field is fueled by a connection to Indiana that goes back to his childhood. Bannec, a native of Bloomington, knows all about the tradition of the program. He knows how meaningful it is to be here.
“It’s beyond words at times,” Bannec said. “You gotta take a step back, because a lot of people would say this is a basketball school, but growing up for the love of soccer and really knowing what greatness looks like, this is it…The greatness has been here. We’ve been high ranked. We’ve been number one, and I’ve been going to games ever since I was little kid. Always made it to cutters night, and so it’s something, every time you step out here sometimes, you just gotta take a step back…I made the dream happen.”
So, when his time comes, Bannec will be ready for it. While he waits, he’s found his own unique role for now. He supports his teammates and keeps them positive using his remarkably dynamic skillset. A skillset that includes jokes, songs, and Michael Jackson.
Indiana goalkeeper Trey Muse has previously described Bannec as one of the funniest on the team. He also revealed that Bannec has quite the singing chops. A talent the whole team found during the “Hoosier Idol.”
“Hoosier Idol” takes place every preseason. On the bus ride to Indianapolis, freshmen are forced to the front of the bus to sing for the team. Here is where the team learned about a talent that has now followed Bannec. Indiana’s redshirt freshman is now always prepared to sing for his teammates.
“Whenever I’m around the guys,” Bannec said. “Maybe in the locker room a little bit, if anyone wants me to serenade. Sometimes Danny [O’Rourke] invites me over and has me sing at his place.”
“That’s not true,” Indiana assistant coach Danny O’Rourke said.
“Yeah it is,” Bannec said.
“That’s not true,” O’Rourke said.
The last of Bannec’s unique talents include an impression he’s been working on for a long time. An impression that finds its way into the locker from time to time.
“I actually was pretty into Michael Jackson,” Bannec said. “For a talent show in fourth grade I brought the glove to class. Yeah, it was a pretty embarrassing moment in my life. But, then beyond that I’ve been doing theater since I was in third grade…just got a love for the arts.”
All of this comes together to make Indiana’s dynamic defender who he is. Bringing joy to the locker room and work ethic to the field, Bannec has found his role at a winning program, and his teammates know he deserves the credit.
“Can you please write a story on John Bannec’s shin guards,” Swartz said.
(11/14/18 5:13pm)
For Trey and Nicolette Kapsalis, it was always going to be Indiana.
“We walked on this field when they were nine and 10-years-old, honestly,” their father Paul “Whitey” Kapsalis said. “We walked on this field. No one was here in the spring. There was one time we were holding hands and we were walking the field and they both looked up and said ‘Dad, this would be unbelievable to play here.’”
It was a sentiment that could have been brushed off and considered too whimsical to be taken seriously, but it wasn’t. For Whitey, hearing his kids say that about a program that has played such a major role in his life meant something.
Whitey grew up always wanting to wear the Indiana logo on his chest.
With that in mind, simply because you want something doesn’t mean you can have it. Whitey wasn’t the biggest or the most athletic. He was just, Whitey.
Without the elite eye-popping talent that a program at the level of Indiana looks for, Whitey never got the offer from the Hoosiers that he coveted. However, he did have an offer and verbally committed to Michigan State.
This status of commitment continued until the day before Whitey was supposed to check-in at Michigan State. That’s when he decided to never let his dream fall to the wayside.
Whitey joined Indiana as a walk-on, knowing that it was better to fail than to have never tried at all. Little did those around him know that Whitey was going to have the impact that he did.
“He was the last man on the roster,” former head coach Jerry Yeagley said. “I, nor I don’t think anyone else other than Whitey, felt that he would perhaps get a chance to get on the field and play for IU. For him to have developed and become the leader, the captain, and so important to the program…so important in changing the culture of a group that was a bit dysfunctional, but in the end it was terrific and he did a lot more than people realize to help the program.”
The reason behind the eventual impact that he had on the program never had anything to do with size or speed. Whitey made his name at Indiana because he was just, Whitey.
“He said it was tough,” Trey said. “He was honest. It wasn’t easy at all. He had to grind. He had to wait his turn (for) his last two years. You know, he did it. He grinded it out and then looking back at he says he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. So, he was very happy he came here. He was happy he went through all the grind and it paid off.”
After three years of sitting on the bench, Whitey’s work ethic and drive put him in position to be there when coach Yeagley needed him most, even after Yeagley had told Whitey he wasn’t good enough.
1986 was the toughest year of Yeagley’s coaching career. It was the first time in his career in which he had to dismiss a group of players including three of his captains.
“1986 was the only time we didn’t make the tournament,” Whitey said. “We had a bad year and it was tough and there were some things going on that weren’t up to standards. The stuff that’s been going on here for years, we weren’t doing. Putting in the extra work. Showing up early for practice. Staying late.”
With the team in disarray, Yeagley did another thing he hadn’t done before. He decided to elect captains instead of putting the decision on the backs of a team vote. Yeagley didn’t look for the best on the field, rather he looked for the best off it.
“When coach Yeagley named me captain he said, ‘we have to get back the way things were,’ and I knew what he meant,” Whitey said. “My contributions on the field were not as significant as what I felt my contributions needed to be in the locker room and on the bus trips and at training and I tapped into that experience I had as a freshman and sophomore watching those champions prepare and I just paid it forward.”
As a captain, Whitey pushed to change the culture of the team. That next season, the Hoosiers went from disarray to winning 16 straight games and being considered the top team in the nation.
That’s why “Dad, this would be unbelievable to play here,” meant something.
“It was the best year of his life,” Nicolette said. “His best friends today are his teammates from IU. And just running out from under the tunnel, every single week putting that jersey on was just the best feeling. Getting to represent Indiana University as an athlete. Just everything you could ever dream about was what he was doing here.”
(11/05/18 2:47am)
Cathedral High School's Armaan Franklin is Archie Miller's first commitment in the class of 2019. As a versatile combo guard, Franklin brings Indiana length and athleticism. He is also looking to help recruit the rest of the 2019 class. We talked about his game, his recruitment, and what makes him different.
(10/30/18 4:33am)
De’Ron Davis is an elite college basketball player in the year 2008.
Now in 2018, Davis fills the role of a dying breed. With an immense amount of talent, it seems absurd to even be having this conversation. But where does Indiana’s 6-10 center fit in head coach Archie Miller’s system?
Without question, the role of the back to the basket center has completely changed in the NBA. It all starts with the Warriors usage of Draymond Green and has expanded with the development of Morey-ball and the Houston Rockets' dependence on taking more than 40 percent of their shots from three-point range.
Teams are going small, focusing on stretching the floor and going up-tempo. It’s a change that has fueled the NBA, and now it has seemingly invaded the college game.
Just this past year, the eventual national champion, Villanova, depended on three-point shots for 47.5 percent of its shot attempts according to KenPom. In 2008, the eventual national champion, Kansas took a three on 29.3 percent of its field goal attempts.
It’s an indicator of just how much college basketball has changed in the past 10 years. It’s a change that is hard to get used to, but also one that certainly isn’t lost on Miller.
Last year, after Davis was lost for the season with an Achilles injury, Miller made the switch to small ball and found success with Juwan Morgan playing center.
“I think at times we excel a lot at it,” Morgan said. “Especially when teams want to play fast, we're able to get up-and-down, and I wouldn't say I practice at it, I would just say that it's something that once De'Ron went out we kind of had to do it, and when you have to do something, you find a way to do it.”
Morgan saw slightly increased success in his new role averaging 2.2 points and 1.2 assists per game more in Davis’ absence. The team as whole looked more fluid at times. At other times, the Hoosiers sincerely missed his presence in the post.
This is where things get interesting for Davis this upcoming season. There is clearly some sort of role on the team for him, but it all comes down to how dedicated Miller becomes to the evolving college game.
Indiana’s addition of graduate transfer Evan Fitzner points to Miller pushing the tempo and spreading the floor, as Fitzner fits the mold of a prototypical stretch four in today’s game.
In order to fit Indiana’s potential tempo, Indiana’s center is going to need a level of athleticism that may evade Davis after returning from injury. Davis has said he expects to be back for the first game of the season, but that doesn’t answer whether he will be completely healthy by that time.
“Well, really De'Ron is taking it slow,” Miller said. “He was here all spring and summer doing his rehabilitation. He wasn't really cleared to start running until maybe June I would say, so he was slow in terms of his recovery…a lot of times when guys come off these injuries, you really don't get a chance to see them maybe recover and feel good about themselves in almost a year. So you're looking at January 1 when he did it, and to me, he's on schedule, but in terms of looking like a De'Ron that played in November and December a year ago, he's not there yet”
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In addition to the athleticism that is needed to play up-tempo basketball, Miller is looking for players that can show defensive versatility. With the prevalence of pick and roll action, Miller wants to switch defensively and that’s not a concept that suits the typical back to the basket center.
“It's actually one of the things we talked about a lot in the off-season is being able to play a smaller lineup and being able to do more complementary switching, so to speak, on the ball, not as much off, but definitely on the ball where we're not in rotation as much, just dealing with the certain styles of play that we see throughout the course of the season, especially in the Big Ten,” Miller said.
Miller also didn’t need to explicitly say that he planned to utilize defensive switching this upcoming season. His recruiting class really says that for him.
The incoming freshmen for the Hoosiers screams versatility.
Jerome Hunter and Romeo Langford both come into the program as shooting guards that can guard nearly every position on the floor, if needed. Hunter comes into the program as a 6-8 two guard and Langford is 6-6. Along with that duo, Jake Forrester comes into the program as a center that is athletic enough to guard the perimeter. With those talents now on the roster, it’s hard to see Miller not taking advantage of the versatility he has.
So, where does that leave Davis?
In today’s basketball landscape, the only way back to the basket center find their way on to the floor, is if they can at least establish a few skills that they’re close to elite at. Davis may lack the ability to spread the floor, but what gives him an opportunity to play are the two assets he has over everyone else on the roster.
Post Efficiency
According to Synergy Sports, last season in 64 post-up possessions, Davis scored 72 points.
The reason behind that would seem to be Davis’ size and extensive pot repertoire. If he can continue to master that part of his game, it will be hard to not utilize him in the right situation.
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Protecting the Rim
Before arriving at Indiana, Davis blocked 441 shots in his high school career (4.1 per game). That total was the most by anyone in the state of Colorado since they began keeping track of blocked shots in 1982.
That success protecting the rim has continued at Indiana, as last season he had a block percentage of 8.8 through 15 games.
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Davis’ Role
Against high powered offenses
Based on Miller’s sentiments, it looks as if Indiana will look to play up-tempo throughout the season. With that in mind, there are times during the year where that style won’t be as advantageous. What Davis provides Miller is the opportunity to slow down games when he needs to. Against teams with strong offenses, Davis can help cut down the number of possessions in the game.
Last season, Davis arguably had his most vital game of the year against Duke when he did exactly that. Duke’s offense was potent, and Davis was able to slow down the game with 16 points. He also had a 30 percent usage rate, indicating how prevalent he was in the Hoosiers’ game plan.
Matching up against taller, talented centers
It sounds simplistic, but against teams that not only have taller than usual centers, but that rely upon them, Davis will have to play thanks to his defensive prowess. Centers like Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) and Jalen Smith (Maryland) can force a team to adjust its style in hopes of neutralizing them.
Off the bench
There is more than one reason for Indiana to slow the game down, and the most obvious would be with a second unit on the floor. If Langford or Morgan are off the floor, the Hoosiers will want to minimize possessions as much as possible. Davis offers Indiana the chance to do that as he could carry the offense when he comes off the bench.
Games to Watch Out for
Based on the role that seems to suit Davis best, there will be games in which he much more important than others. It’s the beauty of the depth in which Indiana has. With plenty of options at Miller’s disposal, Davis will most likely not be the only player to see varied minutes based on the opponent.
“When you have depth and you have competition level that I think we can have, every day you're going to have to earn it, and that's how teams really grow,” Miller said.
With that in mind, there a few games this season where Davis could see major minutes:
-Michigan State (Nick Ward, and a high powered offense)
-Michigan (Jon Teske and a high powered offense)
-Maryland (Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith)
-Ohio State (Kaleb Wesson)
-Wisconsin (Ethan Happ)
-Purdue (Matt Haarms)
-Duke (High powered offense)
(10/29/18 1:00pm)
On Friday night, Indiana fell short against Minnesota, 38-31, in a pivotal game with bowl implications. As close as the final score may seem, the Hoosiers' conservative "bend, don't break" defensive playcalling left them in a 30-9 deficit before a valiant comeback.
Going up against a freshman backup quarterback in Tanner Morgan, the Hoosiers allowed 302 passing yards on the night. The output from Morgan was hard to expect given his inexperience, and looking at the way in which the Gophers passed the ball, the output becomes more intriguing.
Minnesota effectively established its passing game without ever airing it out.
Through simple slant and post routes, the Gophers exploited a major flaw in the Hoosiers' 2018 defensive scheme.
So, it begs the question of what went wrong? According to head coach Tom Allen, Indiana was fully prepared for this style of offense even though it eventually became the Hoosiers' downfall.
"I feel like they kinda got us on our heels," Allen said. "It just felt like they had us, you know hit some of those slant routes of the RPO runs. Obviously, we knew that's what they'd do."
Allen's awareness for how Minnesota planned to attack Indiana is what makes Morgan's output even more of an oddity. On Friday night, the Hoosiers seemingly found themselves offering their opponent opportunities to succeed at its exact strength. On a majority of Minnesota's important passing plays, it seemed easy to figure out who was getting the ball before the play was even snapped.
It all started in the first quarter. Let's take a look:
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On Minnesota's fifth offensive play of the game, the Gophers lined up at Indiana's 26-yard line. Minnesota got to this point after two short passing plays quickly brought the team down field.
Set up in the shotgun with three wide receivers on the left side of the field, the Hoosiers begged Morgan to the throw the ball to Chris Autman-Bell on the inside by lining up Jonathan Crawford and Raheem Layne 10 yards deep in coverage. Then, Morgan did exactly that as both Crawford and Layne dropped back in coverage:
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Two drives later, Morgan found himself able to again exploit Indiana's short pass defense on a seven-yard pass to Rashod Bateman. The seven yards came on a third and eight and allowed Minnesota to then convert on fourth down the next play.
Indiana put two safeties deep, four in man coverage, rushed three, and put defensive end Allen Stallings IV on qb-spy duties. On the near-side of the screen, Minnesota took advantage of Stallings sitting in the middle of the defense. Bateman ran across the line of scrimmage. The corner covering him, Layne, had no choice but to run around Indiana's congested defense.
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Three plays later, Morgan knew exactly where to throw the ball before it was snapped. With Crawford again 10-yards deep of the line of scrimmage, Morgan easily completed a 17-yard inside post route to Demetrius Douglas. Douglas had all the room he needed after the fake hand-off on the play drew in Indiana's linebackers.
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******
On the following play, the Hoosiers continued to play to Minnesota's strength. A'Shon Riggins lined up eight yards beyond the line of scrimmage, clearly in zone coverage. Bateman ran a simple curl route and took the nine yards he was given. In terms of IU's soft coverage Friday night, this is one of the clearest examples:
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******
Later in the drive on third and seven, Morgan again knew exactly where to go with the ball before the play was snapped. Crawford lined up 11-yards deep of the line of scrimmage with no one else in front of Douglas in the slot. With nobody else covering the slot receiver, Douglas ran a quick curl route and scampered for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later the Gophers put the ball in the end-zone and took a 14-9 lead in the middle of the second quarter.
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******
After an Indiana punt on the next drive, Minnesota went right back to what was working. Again the Hoosiers relied on a safety in coverage on the slot receiver. After a fake hand-off, the Gophers successfully took linebacker Cam Jones out of pass coverage, leaving wide receiver Tyler Johnson one-on-one with Indiana safety Juwan Burgess. Since Burgess was lined up 11-yards deep, Johnson had all the room he needed to run a slant route and more. Johnson snagged the quick pass from Morgan at the 12-yard line and then showed off his speed with the extra space getting to Indiana's 45-yard line.
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******
Six plays later, Minnesota then punctuated that drive to end the first half. This time, the Hoosiers setup in a cover two defense. Indiana's Cam Jones lined up in front of Johnson in the slot. Since Jones was covering a short zone, he didn't make any contact with Johnson within five yards. Johnson faked Jones out with a quick move before breaking into a slant. Morgan then found Johnson between the gap of the cover two. Johnson lastly just had to run by the deep safety Crawford for the 18-yard touchdown. This put the Gophers up 21-9 heading into halftime
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******
Coming out of halftime, Minnesota then seemed poised to continue its success in the short game. Early into their first drive of the second half, the Gophers faced a third and eight at their own 31. Minnesota's offense lined up in the shotgun with three receivers to the left and one on the nearside. Indiana countered with man coverage on the outside, and once again, Crawford playing 11-yards deep covering the slot receiver. Morgan then faked the hand-off to bring in the linebackers, found Johnson on a post route in the middle of the field, and Minnesota picked up 15-yards.
From there, the Gophers continued their drive until kicking a field goal. Minnesota took a 24-9 lead, and then followed that success on its next drive. The Gophers added another touchdown to take a 31-9 lead and seemingly kill the game with five minutes and 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
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What came next in this game was nearly indescribable chaos. The Gophers fumbled the ball twice, and Morgan threw a bad interception to keep Indiana alive. Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck also seemed to get conservative himself. Focused on running out the clock, the Gophers punted the ball three times and the Hoosiers came back to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining.
Then Minnesota did something they hadn't done all game.
******
After reaping the benefits of going short on a deep safety all game, Minnesota flipped the script. With Indiana finally prepared for the Gophers tendency, PJ Fleck sent his slot receiver deep.
Indiana sent four to rush the passer. The Hoosier then kept two linebackers in the middle of the field, prepared for any short crossing route. In addition, linebacker Dameon Willis Jr. took quarterback-spy duties. The Hoosiers played with two deep safeties. Burgess lined up 10-yards beyond the slot, awaited a post route inside, and instead got the exact opposite.
"Young guy got beat on a double move," Allen said. "You're supposed to collision it on those double moves and he didn't get any hands on him."
Bateman burst by Burgess and grabbed a 67-yard touchdown to win the game.
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******
In a game of great importance to Indiana, the Hoosiers looked lost and bewildered by the Run-Pass-Option. Conservative playcalling in response to Minnesota's biggest strength ultimately left the Hoosiers without much of a chance defensively. Now, Indiana must reevaluate its approach during a bye week, heading into three final games in need of two wins to make a bowl.
(10/23/18 12:18am)
Recently dismissed sophomore running back Morgan Ellison has released a single on Apple Music called "Out of My Mind."
In a statement released Friday evening by the program, Indiana sophomore running back Morgan Ellison was dismissed from the Indiana football program and suspended from the university for two and a half years.
Ellison released the song on Sunday October 21st, only three days after his dismissal from the program. The song is created under the artist name "Morgan 'Juice' Ellison." The song appears to make reference to his current state of mind and discusses a moment in which Ellison called his mother only to hear tears on the other end of the phone call.
This is the first time Ellison has expressed himself since the dismissal.
The cover art of the song appears to utilize a head-shot of Ellison that was taken prior to the season.
Below is a transcription of the lyrics:
Better get out of my mind, I'm hurting so bad and I don't know why
Better get out of my mind, I'm hurting so bad and I don't know why
Gotta get out of my mind, I'm hurting so bad and I don't know why
Sick of the feelings I just wanna die
Jesus I really need you in my life
My parents is hurting and I am the why
I broke her heart but then she broke mine
I'm sick of the pain just ruining lives
Having these dreams and they suck on my life
I want my shorty right back
Please tell your family I'm sorry I'm black
My heart is hurting but no heart attack
I think that it's broken but more than a crack
When you said you love me, were you telling the truth?
Yeah you said you did, but I'm looking for proof
Climb to the top of the roof, on the edge I thought in my head
Said Lord I wanna be dead
Please just get this evil up out of my head
Look down at my phone and my momma was calling
I picked it up and then she start balling
Sick of this life, my head been hurting all night
Hearing these lies about myself saying no way that this can be right
Stuck in my head, laying in bed, googling ways to be dead
Sick of the pain, this aint a game, I might just do what I said
Gotta get out of my mind, I'm hurting so bad and I don't know why
Sick of the feelings I just wanna die
Jesus I really need you in my life
My parents is hurting and I am the why
I broke her heart but then she broke mine
I'm sick of the pain just ruining lives
Having these dreams and they suck on my life
My heart is flipped upside down now
Haven't seen for a while now
Every time I see your face I get so upset, but can't help to smile now
When you said you love me, were you telling the truth?
Yeah you said you did, but I'm looking for proof
Gotta get out of my mind, I'm hurting so bad and I don't know why
Sick of the feelings I just wanna die
Jesus I really need you in my life
My parents is hurting and I am the why
I broke her heart but then she broke mine
I'm sick of the pain just ruining lives
Having these dreams and they suck on my life
(10/21/18 10:25pm)
Indiana Volleyball’s three set loss to Maryland served as much more than just a regular conference defeat. The loss provided head coach Steve Aird with a symbolic reunion that symbolized the level in which he wants his program to get to. It also came to show what the Hoosiers still need to do to get to that point.
Before coming to Indiana this off-season, Aird coached at Maryland from 2013 to 2017. In that time he took a program that finished 13th in the Atlantic Coast Conference before his arrival to a team with consecutive ranked recruiting classes and an improvement in RPI ranking of 98 spots.
Now in the face of another rebuild at Indiana, Aird aspires to get to the level in which he left Maryland.
“It’s what’s going to happen,” Aird said. “Oh yeah, yeah, put it this way, Maryland’s without now three or four top-50, top-60 recruits that have moved on and they still had kids that were pretty impressive to watch. And a few years from now we’ll be having different conversations and I wouldn’t be here unless I was pretty solid that was happening.”
Even with the loss on Sunday, the Hoosiers still have three more conference wins than they did all of last season. Thanks to the Hoosiers early efforts, the team has already shown signs of progress that have defied Aird’s expectations.
“I know that we’re way ahead of where I thought we would be here despite what happened today,” Aird said.” Today’s a blip, it’s what it is. But you know, I’m going over to tour a $20 million building here in about 30 minutes and we got a pretty big-time commitment from a recruit this morning that’s gonna change the program. You know on the macro, I’m the happiest guy ever. I know I don’t like losing, but at the end of the day we’ve got a lot of positive stuff going on.”
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1054121102572707840[/embed]
Amidst the symbolism that Maryland provided Indiana in Sunday’s matchup, the match itself also went to show the emotional ties that still surround coach Aird.
“I understand the narratives to it and I’m really happy for them,” Aird said. “It can be mutually exclusive. You can be happy for people and still feel upset that you didn’t get it done.”
Prior to the match, coach Aird exited his office with a different objective than usual. Heading to the court, he first went over to his wife and three kids to receive hugs and encouragement. From there, Aird walked over to his extended family. Aird stepped onto the Maryland side of the court and embraced Maryland head coach Adam Hughes.
It was an embrace that surprised no one, as their relationship truly dates back over a decade.
In 2007 Aird and Hughes we were on staff together at Penn State. In 2010 Aired hired Hughes to work with him in California on a business venture for three years. The two were on the same staff in two final fours and won a title together. Aird then hired Hughes at Maryland as his assistant.
During that time, their relationship tied so deep that the two even served as each other’s best men at their weddings.
Aird and Hughes have been by each other’s side through it all. On Sunday, the two faced a rarity. The two faced an oddity that will seemingly follow them for the foreseeable future.
“Outside of playing darts at bars over the past 15 years and playing shuffle board yeah we compete a lot in a lot of things, but this is the first time in a college setting,” Aird said. “Obviously not the last time. We’re hoping we’re both in our gigs for a long time.”
The oddity of Aird’s ties to Maryland has and will continue to leave him in a unique situation in the Big Ten.
“There’s 12 other programs in the Big Ten I’d rather play,” Aird said. “You know I don’t love playing Penn State, I don’t love playing Maryland. I get them both in the next six days.”
Moving forward, Aird will continue to try to build on the progress that he has already made at Indiana. As that progress continues, Indiana’s emotionally backed matchups with Maryland will develop into a more meaningful gauge year after year.
This year, the Hoosiers learned that Maryland had more of an edge, were longer, and scrappier according to Indiana outside hitter Kamryn Malloy and setter Victoria Brisack.
According to Aird, the Hoosiers also displayed a blatant need for depth.
Thanks to Maryland similar style of play, Indiana will be able to use the Terrapins to see if those needs dissipate in the future.
“The biggest thing tonight was it wasn’t necessarily going to come down to a battle of systems because they were the same,” Brisack said. “It was going to come down to a battle of just will and grit and who’s gonna execute better, which they did. They won that battle…When you play a team that is so very similar to you it’s just going to come down to a couple points here and there. Who can pass just a little bit better? Who can hit just a little bit better? And they executed better than we did.”
(10/17/18 4:07am)
On this edition of the Quest for Nine Report, the Hoosiers take down Butler 3-0, and keep their momentum heading into the final three Big Ten games of the season. Even with the win, Trevor Swartz and coach Todd Yeagley weren't exactly pleased.
(10/16/18 12:30pm)
Juwan Morgan’s emergence not only as a player, but also as a leader, served as one of the biggest bright spots of Indiana’s season last year.
With every given game, Morgan provided fans with a level of tenacity and effort that nearly willed his team to victories over more talented opponents.
Now, with a breakout year behind him, Morgan finds himself facing high expectations and a new level of responsibility.
On October 1, Morgan was named a co-captain of the team alongside Zach McRoberts.
"They lead by example on the floor every day with their work ethic and in the locker room by not being afraid to hold their teammates accountable in representing the standards we expect when you wear Indiana across your chest,” Indiana head coach Archie Miller said per IU Athletics.
Miller’s sentiments about his leaders are important. Every person that has seen the two play can clearly appreciate the work ethic of both individuals on the floor. The difference maker is how Morgan and McRoberts conduct themselves off the floor.
At the culmination of last season, I gave Morgan the lofty title of Big Ten Instagram User of the Year. It was a comedic concept without much valuable backing to it. Up until this point, I didn’t really understand the meaning behind it. Now, that meaning is too clear to ignore.
When asked about whether he feels his Instagram comments help bring the team together, Morgan’s answer was immediate.
“Yeah I definitely feel that,” Morgan said. “I think laughter, camaraderie amongst the team is the best thing to have and it translates to the court.”
Morgan’s comments aren’t just some random jokes. It’s a concentrated effort. This a real leadership tactic in 2018 and it seems that Morgan’s on the court work ethic has found its way to social media.
“I think they’re the best there ever was you know,” Morgan said. “I put a lot of time and effort into those Instagram comments so I take pride in them.”
Morgan’s off the court work is not lost on his teammates either.
“I think he spends a lot of time on them,” Indiana guard Johnny Jager said. “He thinks through those and they’re very articulate and he’s got a lot of stuff he says, so I think he thinks about it for a good 30 minutes before he says it.”
“He has to sit there and just stare at all our captions and all our pictures just thinking of something to say,” Indiana forward Justin Smith said.
So, what makes these captions so effective? They follow the protocol established by the man in charge.
Miller gave Morgan the captaincy because of his ability to hold his “teammates accountable.”
“I just challenge them to be the best they can be every day,” Morgan said.
Accountability
Here we see Morgan looking out for his teammate Devonte Green. Morgan wants to ensure Green is aware of NCAA rules, so he can ensure Green makes good decisions.
Morgan is looking out for Jager. Everyone knows about the harmful damage of staying out in the sun too long without sunscreen.
I'm going to assume Ms. Hunt is Jager's girlfriend. Morgan wants to ensure that Jager maintains his healthy relationship.
As anyone with a nagging parent knows, as helpful as this level of accountability can be, it won’t always elicit the happiest reaction.
“It depends, it depends on his comment,” Smith said. “If his comment is something kinda snarky it’s kinda like ughhhhh.”
Along with this level of accountability that Morgan has established, one of the other major keys to his leadership has to sit on the other side of the spectrum.
Just like a good parent, every snarky remark can be effectively followed by a sincere level of support.
Supportive
Morgan clearly wants to ensure that Smith receives the proper credit for his efforts.
Morgan appears to be all-in on his teammates' work ethic and body composition prior to the season.
Here Morgan is giving Jager credit for his fashion choices. The neutral colors seems to suit Jager well.
Oh come on, this McComment is so McPerfect it McHurts.
To be completly honest, I have little idea what this means. All I know is that it seems supportive. In addition for those that are unaware, the phrase "no cap" means "not lying," so we at least know Morgan is being honest. If you would like further clarification, I can use it in a sentence: "Aye no cap, I have no idea what this caption means."
Lastly, another proponent of every effective leader is an unquestionable lack of fear. A leader needs followers, and nobody isn't going to follow an individual that is scared of what’s in front of them.
“He went through a career-best year last year on the floor, and I think he gained a ton of confidence,” Miller said. “I think he's carried that confidence into the off-season in his actions and his leadership ability.”
Confident
Bringing cheese to the grill is an extremly clutch action. Forgetting cheese will leave your grill experience without an important element. Morgan clearly brings that important element to the table and he's confident in that.
With all of the attributes that Morgan has clearly exuded on Instagram, it’s hard to have much doubt in the leadership structure of this year’s Indiana Basketball team.
But, what about Morgan’s co-captain?
“I do have an Instagram account,” McRoberts said. “Yeah, @ZachMcroberts15”
Indiana basketball fans should find comfort in knowing that McRoberts himself seems to have the same focus on accountability as Morgan.
"He thinks he’s funny,” McRoberts said about Morgan's instagram comments. “He thinks he’s got the best comments in the game, but I mean you know he’s reaching for some of them. I’ll give him some. Some are funny, some aren’t but you know you can’t win ‘em all”
Even with McRoberts’ criticism, as a good leader, he still knows not to rain on the parade. When asked if he could concoct better Instagram comments than Morgan, his answer simply exuded care for his teammates’ passion.
“If I wanted to, yeah,” McRoberts said. “But I don’t really want to. I don’t want to take that from him.”
As odd of a sentiment it is to express, it’s hard to argue against the value of Morgan’s Instagram comments. Will they be a difference maker come March? Who really knows? What is known, is that Morgan’s mentality off the court will at least leave him with relationships that will last forever.
“Yeah JMo is very passionate about his comments on Instagram,” Jager said. “He says that’s why his Instagram is the hardest. But you know what? JMo is one of my best friends.”
(10/15/18 2:51am)
Every practice is the same for Indiana midfielder Trevor Swartz.
He goes through the normal practice drills with everyone else. He scrimmages with everyone else. He does whatever anyone else on the team would be expected to do until the conclusion of practice. Then, he gets his own time.
After every practice, Swartz sets himself up with as many balls as he can find and a corner flag. From there, he puts in the extra work. But how much work?
“I don’t know 20 minutes every day, however that multiplies by,” Swartz said.
Swartz’s 20-minute estimation has been a difference maker for Indiana. And most importantly, it’s also just an estimation. An estimation that may be a little too modest.
Week after week, Swartz has set up his routine right in front of the media at practice. Nearly every time he was at that corner flag for much longer than 20 minutes.
At media availability prior to Indiana’s match against VCU, Swartz was sending crosses to defenders Andrew Gutman and Timmy Mehl for nearly 50 minutes after practice. All you could really hear during the entire process were phrases such as, “give me a few more,” and “I can’t end on that one I need one more.”
“It’s funny, just coming over here to talk to you he was wondering if he could get five or six more in and of course we usually let him, but sometimes we have to kick him out of here,” assistant coach Kevin Robson said. “He wants to make a difference and a difference in the score sheet and that’s what separates him."
Swartz’s work ethic and precision has helped to establish one of Indiana’s biggest keys all season.
Seven of Indiana’s 31 goals this season have come off set pieces. With 23 percent of the team’s goals coming off restarts, the Hoosiers have established a pace that blows away anything seen in the top leagues in the world. Last season in the Premier League, Manchester City remarkably scored 106 goals as the club went on to win the league. Of those 106 goals in 38 games, only 11 percent (12 goals) of them were off set pieces.
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1036420688901496832[/embed]
Indiana's impressive start off restarts has fueled the program all year. But it's hard to find it surprising with the way in which Swartz and the Hoosiers finished off last season.
On December 1, 2017, Indiana found itself in a place it never had before. After flying through the regular season completely unblemished in regulation, the Hoosiers faced their first deficit of the season against Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
With the season on the line in a situation that felt like an eerie unknown, Indiana found comfort in the left foot of Swartz.
In the 60th minute, Swartz subbed into the game. He then sprinted to the opposite side of the field and lined up for a corner. Moments later, Swartz delivered a ball to the near post, and found the back of the net without contact from a single player on either team.
The set piece lifted Indiana out of a foreign place and also established a precedent for what has become so vital for Indiana's offense.
A week later in the College Cup, Swartz repeated himself. When his team needed him most, he delivered a fizzing cross that was just inches out of the reach of the Tar Heel goalkeeper. The ball landed at the foot of a darting Indiana defender, Andrew Gutman, and the rest was history.
“He’s special on them,” Robson said.
Now with a new man in charge of restarts after the departure of assistant coach Brian Maisonneuve, it's clear that Indiana has built off of the success of last year's set pieces.
“Roby took it over this year,” Swartz said. “We have a set play for each set piece whether it’s an attacking wide service, attacking wide corner kick whatever it is. But he draws it up after scouting the opponent and then basically just tells me where to put the ball.”
Prior to every match, Robson spends his time diving into film on the Hoosiers' upcoming opponent and how they defensively handle set pieces. The objective is always the same, as Robson looks for the tendencies that make every team different. From there he finds the hole to attack.
“We call it a short blanket," Robson said. "You can’t cover everything on corners and obviously it’s a really dangerous piece of soccer so kinda gotta give to get sometimes. You want to pick up their best strengths as much as you can and take your chance.”
From there Robson's work isn't done, as the Hoosiers have effectively made a living on the changes made in-game.
“Going into the game, [Swartz] knows the spot that we want to hit… We like to label them in numbers," Robson said. "Each spot in the six has a number, a label to it. He knows heading into the game, like ‘Hey we want to hit the two spot or the four spot,’ and that’s what we want to hit in that part of the game. We might call a variation if we maybe want do a short corner, he’ll see and we kinda give him a little signal.”
Part of what has made the Hoosiers so successful in utilizing Robson's plans all year has been the team's ability to do it all. Unlike other teams that may be hampered with only one option in the box or by a set piece taker that only has one strong suit, Indiana is filled with players that can execute anything Robson can really think of.
“We can go near post, far post, or in the middle of the zone depending on the matchup,” Swartz said. “Really it can go anywhere, and then you can also play short. I think the most effective is driving the ball near post, but it just depends on the matchups.”
In addition to the location options Robson has in his arsenal, the Hoosiers have found success with multiple different players in the box along with different players sending a ball into the box.
Throughout the season, Indiana set piece takers have looked to Gutman, AJ Palazzolo, Timmy Mehl, and even Jack Maher to get a head or a foot on their services.
The Hoosiers have also pushed every possible button when it comes to who provides that service into the box. Swartz isn’t the only set piece expert on the team as Indiana has confidently utilized midfielders Spencer Glass, Austin Panchot, Jeremiah Gutjar, and defender Timmy Mehl on set pieces.
“Anytime we have Trevor and Spencer, and Jeremiah hitting balls, I feel good that we can make something happen,” head coach Todd Yeagley said.
Robson's ability to think creatively and treat each set piece differently has put opponents in a nearly impossible position to defend and there is no better example of this than the approach Robson and the Hoosiers took against Maryland.
Indiana took 13 total corners in the match, with each being as unpredictable as the last.
Every Corner vs. Maryland:
First corner taken by Gutjahr was an in-swinger to the back post. Jack Maher then headed it to the top of the box to Francesco Moore who crossed it to the far post for Gutman. Gutman put in the back of the net, but the goal was called off due to a foul in the box[video width="1194" height="676" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20181014_182733-1.mp4"][/video]
Gutjahr sent an in-swinger to the near post for Gutman
Cory Thomas took a corner immediately and passed it short to Swartz who then crossed it to the near post for Griffin Dorsey
Gutjahr sent a near post in-swinger to Dorsey
Swartz passed the corner short to Justin Rennicks who passed it right back. Swartz then crossed it to the middle of the box.
Swartz sent an in-swinger to the middle of box with everyone crowding keeper
Panchot sent an in-swinger to near post for Gutman which scored through a dummy by Thomas
Glass took a quick corner and passed it directly to Thomas at the top of the box for a shot.
Glass sent an in-swinger to the near post for Palazzolo
Glass quickly passed it short on the corner to Dorsey. Dorsey gave it right back and Glass sent a ball to Thomas at the top of the box for a shot.
Swartz sent an in-swinger to the near post for multiple options.
Panchot sent an in-swinger to the middle of the box for Swartz
Swartz delivered an out-swinger to the near post for Palazzolo
In summation:
Gutjahr took three corners, Swartz took four, Glass took three, Panchot took two, and even Thomas technically had a corner that realistically was more of a pass
There were eight in-swingers and one out-swinger
One corner went to the back post, six to the near post, two to the middle of the box, three were taken short, and one went directly to the top of the box
Over the season, Indiana has worked hard to have every option available to them on restarts. The reasoning behind that effort is simple.
"Obviously they win games,” Robson said. “You know we focus on them, we train them, it’s a big part of soccer. You look at the World Cup, upwards of 40 percent of the goals were scored on restarts.”
Thanks to that extra effort, IU is currently riding its best start to Big Ten play since 2002. The only real potential hold back on continued success on restarts would be complacency, but if the end of my conversation with Swartz could tell you anything, that doesn't seem very likely.
“Are you going to go practice set pieces now?”
“I have to, yeah,” Swartz said with a smile.
(10/04/18 4:29am)
After Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat against Kentucky, it was easy to read emotions.
Walking out of the Bell Soccer Complex, a few of us found ourselves behind Indiana midfielder Trevor Swartz. After a few moments, Swartz turned around and thanked us for making the drive to Kentucky to cover the match.
“Good game,” The Hoosier Network’s Zain Pyarali said.
With a painful cringe in his face, Swartz responded simply.
“...yup,” Swartz said.
It doesn’t take an astrophysicist to tell you that losing is never a good thing. Of course, Indiana would have preferred to win Wednesday against Kentucky, but they simply never even had a chance.
It’s a hard sentiment to truly get behind, but the Hoosiers’ 3-0 defeat to Kentucky doesn’t have to be considered a bad thing either.
It all seemingly started and ended in the third minute of the match when Kentucky’s JJ Williams blew by Indiana defender Timmy Mehl and finessed a ball into the bottom left corner of the net.
“Goals change games and I think there’s no doubt we started the first minute, the first minute and a half we lead on them,” IU Head Coach Todd Yeagley said. “We had kinda a good attack and it just kinda took the air out of the group which surprised me with some of the experience we have that it affected the group that much.”
Looking holistically at Indiana’s performance, it’s hard to truly describe what went wrong other than using the basic cop-out of saying that something was just off.
“It just took a little more urgency and a little sharper thoughts and just some better passing,” Yeagley said.
Up until this point, all the little things that define the success of a team had come easy to Indiana. As an observer to it all, these miniscule aspects of the game had become expected. On Wednesday, the little things that made this team special went to the wayside.
“This is a tournament team Kentucky and we can’t have the little details slip away,” Yeagley said.
Last season, the Hoosiers never trailed all season until the Elite Eight against Michigan State.
In the first few minutes against the Spartans, Ryan Sierakowski put Indiana in a completely foreign position. A position that would have never seen a response if it wasn’t for a miraculous goal directly from a corner by Swartz in the 60th minute.
Wednesday’s loss to Kentucky effectively killed the possibility of repeating that foreign feeling. In fact, with Indiana’s come-from-behind win against Northwestern and this unceremonious trouncing, the Hoosiers have now filled their rolodex with the adversity needed come tournament time.
This season wasn’t going to be perfect. There is no reason to ever assume that, even with the talent that fuels the program.
On Wednesday, one can argue that Indiana got lucky.
“I’ve seen this through the years,” Yeagley said. “There’s going to be a game where you’re just a little flat.”
It was inevitable that this team was going to come out flat at some point. What benefits Indiana is that flat performance came on the road in a non-conference game against the fourth best team in the nation. If you’re going to have a game to learn from, let it be this one, and not in one that deters you from your real goal.
“Obviously want to win the Big Ten regular season, Big Ten Tournament, and obviously the big one at the end the National Championship would be nice,” Indiana defender Rece Buckmaster said.
Now the Hoosiers face an incredibly important rebound opportunity in a match that actually has a bearing on the end goal. If the Hoosiers don’t learn from Wednesday’s failures, then we’ll have a different story on our hands. Then Indiana will have a real problem.
“We need to get this one behind us fast,” Yeagley said. “I’m not worried. They have a big game. You have a loss, you want another big game to follow…No bigger game than Michigan on the road.”
(09/28/18 6:40am)
WARNING: The following story is quite clearly satirical in nature. All of the quotes and events are accurate, but if you can’t comprehend any sense of sarcasm then please stop reading. Plus, I doubt Mike Miller is as good at Fortnite as he says he is. Although, I do appreciate the considerable effort he has put into the game. True Gruden Grinder.
Every good team has to be prepared for the unexpected. In basketball, you never know who's going to have the game of their lives or who's going to become the newest spark off of your bench. Just look at Zach McRoberts. Nobody could have ever expected his emergence for Indiana in the middle of last season, but with that great surprise came a defensive specialist that had mastered the pack line defense.
On Wednesday, the Hoosiers faced a completly new surprise.
“Well it kept telling me to go to the designated assembly area, and I don’t know where that is, so I have to admit I was a little worried," Indianapolis Star reporter Zach Osterman said. "If not for today, then certainly for future fires. Because no one really made it clear whether that was a drill, or a malfunction, of an actually inferno.”
Yes, after Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana Romeo Langford took the podium for the first time in his career as a member of the Hoosiers, the fire alarm went off in Assembly Hall.
“It was a little bit traumatic," Indiana Daily Student Beat Reporter Ben Portnoy said. "Lots of flashing lights. But overall, I would say the Indiana press corps kept their cool and made it through a real tough scenario there during media day.”
The traumatic flashing lights of the press room not only struck immediate fear into some, but it also seemed to be an uncalled for interruption for others.
“What a waste, are you kidding me?," Bloomington Herald Times Reporter Mike Miller said. "Are you kidding me? Do you know what plans I cancelled to come here today? I’ve had a really good run in Fortnite lately. I’ve been the aggressor.”
To some this may have been a simple disturbance, but to others, it was an experience we could all learn from.
While walking around the press room during this experience I made sure to keep my ears in tune to everything around me. While doing so, I heard someone in the distance express that the last time there was a fire alarm during a press conference was in 1981. (This is entirely a rumor I had overheard. I'm not going to go through the effort to confirm that it is true, so we're going with the assumption that it is.)
1981! Indiana won a National Championship that year folks. This fire alarm means something!
With that in mind, I decided to review the tape. So without further ado, here are my 16 takeaways:
Devonte Green's immediate reaction to the alarm is priceless.
Green's immediate look around the room at the moment of the alarm displays a true point guards mentality. At a moments notice, Green is ready for anything. He surveyed the floor looking for his best option and without hesitation realized that best option was to stop talking.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Fire-1.mp4"][/video]
Devonte Green is well aware of how the logistics of fire work.
In the next clip, Indiana forward Race Thompson asked a simple question.
"What would have happened if it was a real fire?," Thompson said.
"Yeah, we done for," Green responded.
This awareness of how the spacing and logistics of a room work is pivital for when Green will have to read the spacing on the floor in the upcoming season. In addition, his response truly analyzed the potential result of the fire, unlike others who I asked the same question to.
“I would have used Mike (Miller) to put it out," Osterman said.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-2.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson is curious and socially conscious
After taking the time to try to find the cause for the alarm, Thompson then went on to explain that he was planning on taking a Snapchat before holding back reasons he didn't need to explain. Every good athlete needs a sense of curiosity and should always avoid poor social media usage.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-3.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson doesn't like sitting in a sticky chair
I mean, who does.
Devonte Green is prone to fire alarms
Green goes on to explain that he has experienced a fire alarm at class, Smallwood, Briscoe, and Evolve.
Every team needs a shooter that can get hot.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-5.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson hates fire alarms
Once again, Thompson is extremly relatable. Who likes fire alarms? Nobody does.
If you want your team to gel and develop chemistry, relatable players such as Race Thompson are key.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-6.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson has high expectations for the season.
In this clip, Thompson reaches into his arsenal of Dad jokes to pull out a lofty goal for the season.
"It's because we about to be on fire boy," Thompson said when providing a reason for the fire alarm.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Fire-7.mp4"][/video]
Jerome Hunter is also socially conscious
This is the exact moment in which Hunter retweeted The Hoosier Network during the press conference. I'm not going to say that makes us special, but yeah you know what, I certainly feel special.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-8.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson and Devonte Green are incredibly creative
In the following clip we can see Race Thompson and Devonte Green prepare to rap while utilizing the alarm to set a beat. On the floor, every team needs players that can be creative in the moment looking for unique avenues to beat the defense. It seems quite clear that Thompson and Green can provide that.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-9.mp4"][/video]
Devonte Green is a humble young man
If you look at the tape, you can see that Green was surprised to see his own name on the card in front of him. This humble nature can help Green in the future continue to work hard in practice to drive for more name card surprises.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-10.mp4"][/video]
Hey! Race Thompson eventually did get that Snapchat
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-12.mp4"][/video]
Jerome Hunter is solely focused on basketball and nothing else
Earlier in the day, Archie Miller made sure to express that Jerome Hunter loves basketball more than anyone else he has experienced in a long time. With that explanation in mind, it makes sense that in this next clip Hunter needs Green to teach him where the South Endzone is. Ball is life people. Hunter has his mind on Assembly Hall and nothing more.
Devonte Green is a leader
Look at how Green is able to teach other members of his team. As a point guard, this willingness to make other around you better is crucial to success all year long.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-13.mp4"][/video]
Hey look! Devonte got a snapchat too!
It's called millennial team bonding. Deal with it.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-14.mp4"][/video]
Don't ask Devonte Green about New York accents
As a resident New Yorker, I can confirm that Green's assertion is accurate. The robotic sound of a fire alarm announcement does not sound like the typical New Yorker.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fire-16.mp4"][/video]
Race Thompson is a well mannered man
Thompson didn't have to thank everyone in the room for attending the press conference. He didn't, but he did.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Fire-17.mp4"][/video]
Ultimately, the end result of this entire experience was a new found appreciation. For some, it was a newfound appreciation for the value of faith.
“I knew when JD (Campbell, IU Spokesperson) said no reason to panic, I felt safe," said Miller. "I trust him.”
For others, it was a newfound appreciation for what this Indiana Basketball program truly brings to the table this year. Specifically for this group of three at the podium, everyone in the room could truly take something from how the situation was handled.
“I think it’s indicative of the character we have known about them all along,” Indiana University Assistant Athletic Director Jeremy Gray said.
"I think they're a patient group," The Hoosier Network Reporter Teddy Bailey said. "I know it's just a small bit of adversity they had to overcome, but they were patient more than anything. They didn't complain. They didn't try to leave... In Basketball you have to wait for your looks to open up and that's what it looks like these guys will do this season."
“No, it’s a fire drill," Portnoy said.
(09/21/18 4:33am)
Christian Lomeli is in his first season as an undergraduate assistant coach for Indiana Men's Soccer. Only a few years ago, Lomeli played goalkeeper for Indiana Men's Soccer and now he's back thanks to the Hoosier for Life Program. In his playing days, Lomeli never let his size hold him back in net, and now he has the opportunity to teach his mentality the players on the Hoosiers' roster. In addition, he also took some time to teach me some of the same lessons.
(09/13/18 5:54am)
Indiana men’s soccer has seemingly always been defined by excellence.
With eight National Championships to the program’s name, it’s hard to expect anything different. Nearly since the program’s inception, there has been elite talent at every position on the pitch in Bloomington. With that comes unsurprisingly highly regarded recruiting classes year after year.
That influx of talent season after season is what makes the journey of one of the most electric players in the nation so intriguing.
According to TopDrawerSoccer, Indiana winger Griffin Dorsey was the 18th best player in his recruiting class, Indiana forward Justin Rennicks was 30th, and Indiana forward Thomas Warr was 58th. On the Hoosiers roster, eight players have had some form of Youth USMNT experience.
Among all of that, the most heralded player on the Hoosier roster is the one without any of that.
“Sometimes they just get lost in the shuffle,” the Director of Content for TopDrawerSoccer, Travis Clark said.
According to TopDrawerSoccer, the same player that got lost in shuffle four years ago with only three schools expressing any form of interest in him, is now regarded as the second-best player in the nation.
“I was in the academy, so I played with guys on the national team. I would go on bus trips and they would show me emails from 10 different schools,” Indiana defender Andrew Gutman said. “It’s a little weird seeing high level recruits coming from a guy who had three schools email him.”
The closest connection Gutman ever really had to top-level division one soccer program was his family history. His older brother, father, grandfather, grandmother, and four of his aunts and uncles all attended Indiana. So, when the time came to visit his brother, Phillip, at school, his mother presented him with the idea to reach out to the Indiana coaching staff.
The idea was simple in nature, but Andrew was hesitant to pull the trigger because he didn’t think he was a big enough recruit. That’s at least what he was told.
“A lot of people coming out of high school said I wasn’t going to play at a top division one school,” Gutman said.
Luckily for head coach Todd Yeagley and the Indiana coaching staff, Gutman eventually pushed beyond the hesitancy.
“I actually reached out to them,” said Gutman. “My brother is a year older than me. He was a freshman in college at the time. I actually emailed coach Yeagley and I was like ‘Hey I’m coming down to hang out with my brother. You think we can meet up and talk?’ And I just thought it was going to be a meet and greet. Then he emails me back ‘Here’s the itinerary for your recruiting visit.’ I still have it hung up in my room at home. Gave me a whole recruiting visit. Stayed for two days and then that Sunday night I committed to Indiana.”
Even after the considerably abridged recruiting process, there were no guarantees that Gutman would ever even play for Indiana. Sitting on the bench was a status that Gutman already knew well. It was also a status that he knew how to break free of.
Gutman grew up a natural forward. His eyes were always destined for goal until the first true wakeup call of his career. That came in the form of academy soccer and the Chicago Fire academy program.
“When I first joined the academy, I didn’t really play that much," Gutman said. "I just rode the bench. So, I decided to put my head down and work.”
When Gutman first joined the Chicago Fire, there was only one position with an opening on the pitch. If he wanted to ever play, he had to completely change his game and move to the defensive side of the field as a left back.
What stood in front of him was a year of learning an entirely new position. A year of never playing, just learning. A transition fueled by difficulty that eventually would come to explain why Gutman is now one of the most versatile players in the nation.
“Now it makes perfect sense,” said Gutman’s former teammate and current New England Revolution forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen after being told about Gutman’s history at the top of the pitch.
In order to learn the craft of playing left back, Gutman sought out the best in the business, and he did it the only way a kid his age knew how.
Gutman modeled his game after Brazilian left back Marcelo.
“When I was a kid I used to watch hours of him on YouTube just dribbling…and a little bit of defending,” joked Gutman.
It was that work and dedication to his craft that propelled him to do what many couldn’t have expected when he arrived at Indiana.
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1035735125739425792[/embed]
“He came in and took over for Patrick Doody and I just remember Patrick Doody saying he was excited that he was leaving because he didn’t want Gutman to take his place,” Indiana Assistant Coach Kevin Robson said. “Doody knew someone was coming hard behind him.”
Not only did Gutman take over for Doody, but he excelled according to his teammates.
“He was a pretty exciting player,” Hollinger-Janzen said. “He was someone you could tell as a freshman could make an impact. He was physically able to keep up as a freshman which is a good sign. Skillfully he was there. He obviously had things to work on, but he was an impressive freshman.”
Even with his impressive play to start, the under-recruited freshman still showed signs of being that natural forward at heart.
“He was very aggressive going forward,” Hollinger-Janzen said. “Defensive end wasn’t quite as sound, but you could tell he had those components to become a good defender.”
With those components in mind after his freshman year, Gutman did what he had to in order to become one of the best in college soccer.
“I was a natural forward so I naturally wanted to attack,” Gutman said. “So when I learned how to defend and attack, that was what made me different from everyone else.”
The progress in Gutman’s game that separated him from the rest came as a result of a work ethic that is not only unquestioned, but greatly appreciated by his coaching staff.
“I don’t know if we all thought he could do what he has done,” Yeagley said. “We knew he’d be a really good player for us, but he has been a great example of someone who has just worked really hard and made improvements…We just saw an unbelievable thirst and zest of competitive spirit and great athletic quality…I’d say no one has worked harder at their craft than him and getting him to where he is now as an elite college player…It’s a good example for the rest of the guys.”
“He just looks different physically,” Robson said. “His preparation. His work-rate. Every day in practice it’s great when you have your hardest worker as your best player and that makes your job easier.”
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1035697476081274881[/embed]
Even though Gutman has the ability to make a coach’s job easier, that doesn’t mean Gutman always listens.
“You know when we do passing activities in practice you can tell the weight of his pass, the detail he puts more into what he’s doing in training is second to none,” Robson said. “And he knows, he has gotten some reps with Chicago Fire and he knows the level and how hard it is to make it in MLS, but you can tell that this summer he really focused in. You can just tell he’s fit. Even yesterday we wanted to hold him out of one activity and he wouldn’t let us…We love that. You want your best guys doing that and he’s a great model for the young guys to look at.”
Robson’s assertion about the Chicago Fire may be the most vital piece to the entire puzzle. Along Gutman’s entire journey at Indiana, he has never lost his connection to the academy that fueled his flame.
Gutman spends every summer training with the club that resides only 10 minutes away from his childhood home. That means playing alongside one of the best to ever play the game, Bastian Schweinsteiger.
When asked about it, Gutman acknowledged that during the summer he has no choice other than to raise his game in order to earn the respect of athletes, such as Schweinsteiger.
Now as a senior, Gutman has put it all together. He has rounded out his defensive game and become lethal as a goal scorer with seven goals this past season and three so far in 2018. Ultimately, he has become a player that can do it all, at a position where many can’t.
“Well I tell him he doesn’t need to get goals and assists every game,” Yeagley said. “He doesn’t listen to me sometimes. But no, I always say he’s a defender first. He knows that…he has become an excellent defender…What he brings to us offensively is a weapon.”
Gutman’s versatility as a defender, who leads his team on offense, has facilitated the Hoosiers in turning heads on a national scale.
“It’s very unique,” Clark said. “I wouldn’t say weird. I think that’s part of the reason why he stands out, right. I can’t think of many colleges that I’ve followed over the last 7-8 years, where yeah you know they had Mason Toye, you have Rennicks, you have Griffin Dorsey on the squad, but I feel like if you take Andrew Gutman out, not only does the team suffer defensively, but they probably wouldn’t score or create as many goals which yeah I guess that is weird…and that goes beyond even what shows up on the score sheet. Maybe he doesn’t score a ton of goals, doesn’t influence the game all the time, but you still see how he stretches the field, how he gets forward in space with his off the ball movement.”
Gutman himself, the “offensive defender,” reiterated that weird sentiment.
“Yeah it’s a little weird, but I like it,” Gutman said. “I like playing offense more than defense. I don’t know if coach likes it that much.”
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/1037848292263186433[/embed]
Yeagley may clearly have a preference for defense, but Gutman’s ability to do it all has still earned him praise from the man at the top of the program and many more around him.
“He clearly is one of the best players in college soccer,” Clark said. “Part of it is his ability to, as lame and cliché as it is to boil it down to, it’s his ability to score goals whether that’s from set pieces, the run of play, or creative. He definitely has a good shot at being our player of the year, especially if IU continues to do so well.”
Gutman's drive on and off the pitch has also earned him praise from teammates from the present and the past.
“Every single year you think, how can that kid get better?” Indiana midfielder Francesco Moore said. “And then he just comes in always ready, always fit, always just improving in some area and right now he looks like a total product.”
“He’s finishing opportunities that maybe he was missing last year,” Gutman’s former teammate and current striker for Louisville FC, Richard Ballard said. “He’s completing the runs that he used to make with maybe a missed pass in the final third or a missed shot in the final third…I think it’s all starting to come together. He’s been a lot more dangerous on set pieces. He’s using that athleticism more than he was to get on balls in the area…He’s perfecting that cut in from the left side onto his right.”
Gutman has done well beyond what anyone has asked of him in his time at Indiana. He has pushed the boundaries of his own abilities and earned all of the praise and attention that has come his way.
Gutman has developed from the kid without much interest, to the bell of the ball. The only question that really remains is why is he still here?
“From a professional perspective, Andrew could have signed pro right away after last year’s college cup and joined the Fire,” Clark said. “There isn’t much left for him to prove unless he goes out and wins a national title.”
When Andrew decided to join Indiana on that special Sunday four years ago, he made a commitment to a program that believed in him when no one else did. Gutman committed to four years of college soccer and committed to becoming a champion. Falling minutes short of that commitment in last year’s College Cup is what fuels the left back now.
“If we won all three championships I think we would have been one of the best IU teams ever,” Gutman said. “Everyone wants to be on one of those teams that is remembered forever. In team meetings sometimes, we will talk about teams from the 80s, teams from the 90s. We will be remembered for the 18 shutouts and the undefeated season, but everyone wants to be remembered for titles. I think about our three championship losses every single day.”
Gutman is the type of player to always wear his heart on his sleeve. With every touch of the ball, you can sense the doubt that surrounded his development, you can sense the work that went into every dribble and every tackle of his career, and you can sense the motivation that drives him to do more than just be a player.
He wants to be special, even if that once seemed impossible, and that is what has led to the soccer player that Indiana fans know today.
“How can you not love Andrew if you come here and watch these games?” Yeagley said. “He’s so fun to watch. He leaves it out there. He loves IU. His family is all IU. And, it means a lot to him. Obviously, he had an opportunity to leave last year, and he wanted to come back and help us win a title…He knows he’ll have the pro opportunities coming to him, he just wants to have a great last year with his teammates.”
(09/01/18 2:30pm)
Michael Ramirez and Eddie Cotton preview IU’s August 31 matchup with the UCONN Huskies and what to expect on the pitch. They dive into UCONN's tight defense and facilitation issues.
(08/31/18 12:30pm)
Indiana Men's Soccer's Head Coach Todd Yeagley is one of the best in the college game. That's why we sat down with him for our first coaches corner of the year to go over where his head is at this early in the season. We also had the opportunity to talk about some of the things that don't get discussed at the normal weekly media availability. This includes discussing his coaching philosophy, recruiting mentality, and his favorite refreshing beverage.
(08/24/18 4:29am)
One of the unique dynamics of team sports is the complicated nature of adversity. Consistently, we work to praise teams that maintain a unified approach to handle sports’ intricacies, but sometimes unification simply isn’t feasible.
Last season for Indiana Men’s Soccer was truly remarkable. It was almost easy to qualify it by describing it as “special.” What came with that “special” label was a season that lacked any sense of real adversity.
The Hoosiers never faced a deficit in the entirety of the regular season, and the team itself did things defensively that were nearly inconceivable.
This “special” sentiment lasted all until the very last moment of the season. It lasted until one split second of college soccer trauma ended a season in despair, as the Hoosiers went on to lose in the National Championship on a walk-off goal in extra time.
The absurdity of it was the end result. IU's biggest adversity of the entire year actually came in their offseason.