10 games in, we're still not sure if this IU men's soccer team is a contender

Tyler Tachman
Special for IndyStar

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s soccer hasn’t necessarily gotten off to a dominant start this season. With a 1-0 victory over Notre Dame on Wednesday, the Hoosiers improved to 5-2-3 on the season. IU has notched some good wins this season — victories over Akron and Butler. There have also been moments where there was more to be desired. The Hoosiers are just 1-1-2 in the Big Ten.

For comparison, IU was 9-1 through 10 matches in 2021, a season in which it lost in the national championship game. That comparison, however, isn’t perfect, given it was a truncated season due to COVID-19. All of those 10 matches were against teams in the Big Ten. Regardless, it paints a picture of IU's dominance that season to what the Hoosiers are doing now.

But Wednesday was a step in the right direction. The victory, however, wasn’t enough to silence this question: Is this an IU team that can make a deep postseason run?

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“We have a lot of those guys that were in that (2021 national championship appearance) run,” said Ryan Wittenbrink, who scored the lone goal Wednesday. “And then obviously a bunch of talented younger guys, so I think it’s a good mix. We got a lot of talent and also people that have been there, so I think it’s a good mix to have, for sure.”

Indiana's Ryan Wittenbrink (18) attempts a shot during the first half of Monday's game at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Wittenbrink scored the first goal in the Hoosiers' 2-0 win over Seton Hall. (Indiana University Athletics photo)

IU, it seems, is still trying to find a consistent formula to win without departed stars Victor Bezerra and goalkeeper Roman Celentano. The parity between Daniel Munie and coach Todd Yeagley’s descriptions of the team shows how the Hoosiers’ identity still seems to be a work in progress.

“I think, if we keep putting performances like this, just gritty 1-0 wins, I think that’s how we were in the national championship (appearance) run,” Munie said. “… Stuff like that, I think, is what we need to keep doing going forward with this team.”

Said Yeagley: “I think they’re getting to be a tougher group. Yeah, I think it’s not your first adjective when you talk about this team, is like a ‘gritty, tough team,’ but they have some moments of that and we’re hoping the periods can get bigger.”

The lone goal Wednesday came in the first half. IU's Herbert Endeley made a run into the box before being taken down. It set up a penalty kick for Wittenbrink, who rocketed it into the net. That IU was able to hold onto its lead Wednesday was a promising sign. Earlier in the season, against Portland, IU held a 3-1 lead, but the match ended in a 3-3 draw. IU , too, had a 1-0 lead over Michigan State, but the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

“I thought today it wasn’t about how it looked or the chances we created,” Yeagley said. “And we didn’t get frustrated, and we didn’t get all these chances in the second half. It was kinda just a stalemate and they didn’t get rattled by that. That was good. Sometimes when you’re up and you’re like not having as much of the game you get a little rattled like ‘what’s going on?’ and you can kinda see some guys get tense. There wasn’t that. So that kinda shows some mental toughness.”

There's still a lingering question of who will emerge as IU's outright starter at goalkeeper. Bryant Pratt and JT Harms have each started games this season. Pratt left the September match against St. John’s following a collision but made his return to game action Wednesday and played the whole match. IU, the past two seasons, hasn’t really had to deal with the shuffling of goalkeepers due to the prowess of Celentano.

“I feel like we have two players that are both very capable and we’ll just keep evaluating,” Yeagley said of the goalkeeping situation this season. “At some point, in this last stretch, we’ll want to kinda hone in. But the good news is if one takes a knock the other one is ready to go. And that makes us better.”

Wednesday also marked Munie’s return to the starting lineup. Munie, last season’s Big Ten Defender of the Year, has missed time this year with a hamstring injury. Wednesday was his first start since Sept. 9 against Akron. Wittenbrink described Munie as “the best defender in the country.”

If you’re looking for more positives regarding if the Hoosiers can become a dangerous team in the postseason, Wittenbrink and Munie are part of a potentially redeeming characteristic of this team. They have experience. Both are among the holdovers of the team that made it to the 2021 national championship game. Endeley, too, who was a crucial part of Wednesday's win, was a part of that team.

“It’s really just a confidence thing,” Wittenbrink said. “When you have guys that have been there before, to do it with the experience. It helps. And then obviously we can lead it into the younger guys.”

If this is the foundation IU builds off, it is a promising sign for the rest of the season. But if this turns out to be close to this team’s ceiling, there are major concerns about its ability to do damage past the regular season. For a team that has shown promise and also flaws, consistency will likely be needed.

“Our backline has to start finding that best form and I feel like that group is getting better as the season's going, as is our attackers,” Yeagley said. “That gives me a lot of confidence that some of our best soccer still could be ahead.”