Indiana men’s soccer to face Michigan on Sunday looking to climb back atop Big Ten table

Following Tuesday’s confidence-boosting victory in opposition to Northwestern, which took strain off Indiana males’s soccer to earn its first Large Ten win, the Hoosiers need to climb up the convention desk rapidly. 

Via three Large Ten matches, Indiana’s 1-1-1 file places the group in a three-way tie for third place with 4 factors, whereas league-leading No. 8-ranked Maryland possesses 7 factors. With simply 5 convention matches left, the Hoosiers can’t afford to drop many factors within the pursuit of the common season title. 

The Michigan Wolverines characterize the primary problem on the Hoosiers’ journey towards consistency on the attacking aspect of the ball after a scientific exhibiting in opposition to the Wildcats. Indiana will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face Michigan at 4 p.m. Sunday. 

“Hopefully we are able to preserve this momentum going,” senior ahead Ryan Wittenbrink mentioned after the Northwestern match. “All of our focus is on (Michigan) now.” 

Wittenbrink, who scored Indiana’s fourth and ultimate objective in Tuesday’s win, leads the group with 4 objectives and 10 factors. He was additionally concerned within the Hoosiers’ second objective in opposition to the Wildcats, straight aiding senior ahead Herbert Endeley’s lead-changing strike. Endeley himself earned an help a minute later.  

[ Second-half flurry lifts Indiana men’s soccer past Northwestern 4-1 for first Big Ten win]

The pair of veteran attackers, together with the sophomore ahead duo of Samuel Sarver and Tommy Mihalic, are the Hoosiers’ main point-getters heading into the midway level of the common season schedule. That’s an essential development which should preserve trending in the identical course for these head coach Todd Yeagley mentioned had been the anticipated main contributors. 

Individually, Wittenbrink’s play and significance in Indiana’s buildup hasn’t missed a beat since his transfer from the bench to a beginning function a couple of matches in the past.  

“I do know what the group expects of me, and no matter function they see match I’m going to present 100%,” Wittenbrink mentioned. 

Though Indiana has but to be shutout after eight matches, it struggled to dominate weak groups on the scoresheet earlier than the turnaround in opposition to Northwestern. With Michigan up subsequent, it’s potential for a sample to type. 

The Wolverines’ early-season type as they head into Sunday’s matchup with a 3-5-2 file general and 1-2-0 mark in convention play leaves a lot to be desired. The lagging outcomes additionally make scouting them a head-scratching course of. 

“A lot better than their file, based mostly on what I’ve seen,” Yeagley mentioned. 

Amongst a deeply veteran midfield and assault, no Wolverine participant has damaged out forward of the pack on the scoresheet. The group has scored a regarding seven objectives by 10 matches, with senior midfielder and ahead Inaki Rodriguez and junior midfielder Quin Rogers carrying the load with two objectives apiece. 

Regardless of an in-state rivalry sport loss to Michigan State in its final match, Michigan additionally pushed over Northwestern with a 3-1 win and held Maryland, the present group to beat within the convention, to a tightly contested 2-1 loss. 

“The opposite video games I’ve seen, I do know they’d Maryland on the ropes within the first half,” Yeagley mentioned. “They’re a superb aspect. It’s going to be a troublesome match.” 

Typical of the 17-time Large Ten common season champions, success has been frequent for the Hoosiers in opposition to the Wolverines. The all-time sequence stands at 23-4-3 in Indiana’s favor, however this matchup has been outlined by shut contests lately. 

Not solely did Indiana want a penalty shootout to defeat Michigan within the 2019 Large Ten Event championship sport, however the final two conferences had been additionally determined in further intervals. The Hoosiers gained 1-0 in double additional time on the street within the shortened COVID-19 spring season, whereas the Wolverines scraped out a 2-1 additional time victory in Bloomington final season. 

With the additional time rule now exiled all through school soccer, each side, determined for factors in bunches, might want to put together accordingly to keep away from a fourth consecutive draw by 90 minutes. 

“Our guys are assured,” Yeagley mentioned. “It’s a superb alternative to win on nationwide TV and have a superb efficiency.” 

Sunday’s match shall be broadcast on Large Ten Community.