Indiana Soccer: Hoosiers Finally Get Back on the Pitch

It's been more than a year since Indiana has played a soccer game, with the fall season scrubbed because of COVID-19. Now the Hoosiers are ready to begin a shortened spring season on Friday against Wisconsin.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's been more than a year – 445 days to be exact – since Todd Yeagley and his Indiana soccer team played a game that mattered. COVID-19 stole their fall season, and now it's time for a condensed spring season.

Indiana is going to play a 10-game regular season schedule, all against Big Ten foes. That starts on Friday, with a 1 p.m. ET "home'' game against Wisconsin indoors at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

It's all very different, of course, but Yeagley will take it. He's just glad to be out playing games again, even if the season will be half as long as what he's used to.

"Getting to this point, now that we're in a game rhythm, it's different,'' said Yeagley, who's entering his 11th season with the Hoosiers that includes a national title (2012) and three College Cup final four appearances. "It's hard to just practice. You need games. They've done a good job with staying focused, and I'm sure there are some guys that will step it up in game mode.''

Players are players, and they can learn to adapt to most anything, and if the schedule says you play in February instead of September, you just do it. Yeagley said his players have adapted well.

“It feels a little strange to be in a preseason in February heading into a game, but it is what it is,” Yeagley said. “It’s all about how we approach it. I know our guys will be ready for the task, as ready as you can be without having played a game in almost a year.

"It's just a rhythm change. There's so many things we don't normally deal with in our traditional season. It kind of feels like a spring/fall hybrid, because it's the spring, but the games matter. It's different when we're inside Mellencamp (indoor practice facility) trying to replicate a game inside of being outside in mid-August.''

Because of the Big Ten's COVID protocols, the Hoosiers will play each of the other soccer-playing Big Ten teams, with two games against Wisconsin and Northwestern. There will be a conference tournament in April and the NCAA Tournament will follow. Indiana has made the NCAA tournament 33 years in a row.

"Usually you have those first four games in the fall to kind of figure out where you are, but now there's very little margin,'' he said. "There's only 10 games and we'll have to learn quickly and not let the mistakes hurt us.'' 

 In 2019, Indiana won both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, and beat Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to UC-Santa Barbara in double-overtime.

Some players to watch this season are redshirt senior defender Spencer Glass,who has been named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI, and the No. 4 Player to Watch by Top Draw Soccer. 

Sophomore forward Victor Bezerra was named the No. 57 Player to Watch by Top Drawer Soccer. 

Wisconsin finished 3-11-4 in 2019 and the Hoosiers have dominated the series through the years, posting a 39-5-9 record. In the past nine games in the series, the Hoosiers have won five times, and tied four matches.

Indiana has dominated Big Ten soccer through the years. It has 16 regular season titles, 14 tournament championships and 10 championship doubles. The Hoosiers have won eight national championships. 

Much like football and basketball this school year, no fans will be allowed at IU soccer games this season. 

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Indiana 2021 Men's Soccer Schedule

• Feb. 19 (Fri.) – Wisconsin at Indiana, 1 p.m. ET (Grand Park, Westfield, Ind.)
• Feb. 23 (Tues.) – Indiana at Ohio State, 3 p.m. ET 
• Feb. 27 (Sat.) – Indiana at Northwestern, Noon ET
• March 7 (Sun.) – Penn State at Indiana, 1 p.m. ET
• March 11 (Thurs.) – Indiana at Wisconsin, 1 p.m. ET
• March 15 (Mon.) – Michigan State at Indiana, 2 p.m. ET
• March 19 (Fri.) – Indiana at Rutgers, 1 p.m. ET
• March 23 (Tues.) – Northwestern at Indiana, 7 p.m. ET
• March 27 (Sat.) – Indiana at Michigan, 7 p.m. ET 
• April 4 (Sun.) – Maryland at Indiana, 1 p.m. ET  
• April 10 (Sat.) – Big Ten tournament quarterfinals
• April 14 (Wed.) – Big Ten tournament quarterfinals
• April 17 (Sat.) – Big Ten tournament quarterfinals