Indiana men’s soccer heads to NCAA tournament Elite 8 after Brett Bebej scores against Marshall Sunday night

IU Athletics provided the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 27, 2022

Indiana Men’s Soccer

Hoosiers Handle Herd, Head to 28th Elite 8

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana men’s soccer has advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal for the fourth time in six seasons.

The No. 13-seeded Hoosiers (12-4-6, 3-1-4 B1G) extended their NCAA record to 28 Elite 8 appearances with a 1-0 victory over Marshall on Sunday (Nov. 27) night on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

A 47th-minute header by senior Brett Bebej was the difference as IU earned a second straight clean sheet in the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana will face UNC Greensboro either Friday or Saturday (Dec. 2-3) for a spot in the NCAA College Cup.

KEY MOMENTS

• 45’ – Indiana earned 10 corners, five shots and two shots on goal in the first 45 but the match went into the half scoreless.

• 47’ – It took just one corner kick in the second half to push IU ahead. Redshirt senior forward Ryan Wittenbrink whipped it towards the back post where senior defender Brett Bebej beat his defender and headed it in.

• 54’ – IU had a chance to make it two seven minutes later as a cross from Herbert Endeley found fellow senior forward Maouloune Goumballe with space in the box. Marshall graduate goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made the save on Goumballe’s effort, but the Thundering Herd turned it over in their final third. Goumballe got into a one-on-one with Semmle, but the Marshall man smothered his shot on goal.

• 65’ – Marshall had perhaps its best chance in the 65th minute on a pair of shots from freshman midfielder Ryan Holmes. His first chance was blocked and the second was handled by IU junior goalkeeper JT Harms.

NOTABLES

• Indiana will finish the season with a 9-1-3 record at home, earning seven shutouts in those 13 matches.

• IU improved to 6-1-3 against ranked opponents this season as Marshall was rated as high as No. 8 by Top Drawer Soccer. 

• The Hoosiers earned their seventh clean sheet of the season in a second consecutive 1-0 victory. IU has allowed just four goals in five matches since the start of the Big Ten Tournament.

• Indiana moved to 1-1 against Marshall in the all-time series.

• IU’s upcoming quarterfinal appearance moves the NCAA record to 28 appearances. The next-best program, Saint Louis, has appeared in 23 Elite Eights.

• Bebej tallied his third goal of the season, setting a career-high, and his sixth of his career.

• Assisting the goal, Wittenbrink earned his Big Ten-best ninth assist of the year. The first-team All-Big Ten honoree has tallied a goal contribution in each of his last seven matches (three goals, four assists) and has nine goals and nine assists in 2022.

UP NEXT

Indiana will travel to UNC Greensboro to face the No. 12-seeded Spartans in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal round. The match will take place either Friday or Saturday (Dec. 2-3) with kickoff time TBA.

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