Staff report
Bloomington, Indiana — September 26, 2023
Despite dominating the field, Indiana men’s soccer (3-3-3, 0-1-2 B1G) had to settle for a scoreless draw in a Big Ten showdown against Michigan (2-3-4, 1-0-2 B1G) on Tuesday night at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
In a match that saw Indiana come tantalizingly close to securing three points, Lady Luck was not on their side. The contest ended in a deadlock despite Indiana’s offensive efforts.
Indiana fired a total of 19 shots, with seven on target, but the elusive goal remained out of reach. The 60th minute proved to be a turning point as two of Indiana’s shots were deflected by Michigan’s defenders and narrowly saved by the fingertips, denying IU the lead. In the 90th minute, two more shots from inside the box were thwarted by Michigan’s determined defense.
Michigan, in contrast, was held to just five shots, a testament to Indiana’s defensive performance that earned them their fifth clean sheet in nine matches this season.
Key Moments:
- 18’ – Junior midfielder Patrick McDonald had an early opportunity in the 18th minute with a shot from 19 yards out that tested U-M freshman goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson, who made a diving save to his left.
- 40’ – Michigan’s best chance of the match came late in the first half, with two consecutive corner kicks leading to senior midfielder Quin Rogers at the top of the box. Senior goalkeeper JT Harms denied both attempts.
- 45’ – IU seemed on the verge of breaking the deadlock in the closing moments of the first half as senior defender Hugo Bacharach headed the ball into the net from a precise McDonald cross. However, celebrations were cut short as the offside flag was raised.
- 60’ – In the 60th minute, Lady Luck seemed to tease IU again when a freshman forward’s low cross found senior forward Karsen Henderlong, who fired a powerful shot towards the near post. Goldson’s left hand was just enough to push it off the post and away. IU recycled the play, and junior forward Tommy Mihalic’s long-distance effort hit the crossbar.
- 90’ – IU’s misfortune continued in the final minute as Mihalic set up Henderlong, who had a clear shot in the box. However, U-M sophomore defender Nolan Miller intervened with a timely challenge. The ball then came to Bacharach, whose left-footed shot was blocked by the head of sliding graduate defender Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi. In the second half, Indiana outshot Michigan 13-1.
Notable Points:
- The match had a 30-minute delay in kickoff due to wet field conditions caused by rain earlier in the day.
- Indiana’s historical dominance over Michigan continued, with the Hoosiers holding a 24-4-5 all-time record against their rivals.
- IU achieved its fifth clean sheet of the season and maintained an impressive 0.56 goals-against average. Tuesday’s match marked the seventh time this season that the Hoosiers held their opponents to single-digit shot attempts.
Upcoming Match: Indiana will have a week before facing Kentucky next Tuesday (Oct. 3) in Lexington. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
