'One of my Favorites': Indiana Soccer Blanks Virginia 1-0 To Advance To NCAA Elite 8

Indiana men's soccer traveled to play No. 7 Virginia in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament Sunday. The two programs combine for 15 national championships. The Hoosiers won 1-0 with Collins Oduro's goal for head coach Todd Yeagley's 200th win.

In the battle of the bluebloods, Todd Yeagley and Indiana men’s soccer stood as king.

The Hoosiers shut out No. 7 Virginia 1-0 Sunday in Charlottesville to return to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.

Indiana has won 12 of its last 13 and has momentum heading into the Elite 8.

Virginia hadn’t been beaten since mid-September. The Hoosier backline, alongside goalkeeper JT Harms, managed to stifle the ACC Co-Midfielder of the Year and Freshman of the Year in perhaps collegiate soccer’s most outstanding conference. Not all Indiana teams have been able to achieve that. In the 1994 national championship, Indiana lost 1-0 to Virginia, Yeagley’s final collegiate match as an Indiana player under his father, Jerry Yeagley.

On Sunday, Yeagley’s 200th all-time head coaching victory went 1-0 — over the Cavaliers.

“No, I would take anything,” Yeagley chuckled post-match. “But yeah, 1-0 is good.”

The Cavaliers commanded the opening 10 minutes of Sunday’s contest, and they were nearly flawless at home this year with a 10-1-2 record. In the 10th minute, Virginia’s Mouhameth Thiam broke free via a give-and-go inside Indiana’s box. Thiam’s shot whizzed off the crossbar unassisted. But in the next minute, the Hoosiers scored against the run of play.

Senior Maouloune Goumballe, deemed "Mr. November" by Yeagley, dribbled firmly along the far wing and crossed into the box. No one was there as the ball passed three idle Virginia players. Then Indiana freshman Collins Oduro swiftly swooped in toward the back post, maneuvered around the last defender and chipped in his second NCAA Tournament goal in three matches. 

For the next 80 minutes, Indiana more or less cruised to the victory, thanks to center back Jansen Miller. In the 63rd minute, Virginia’s pass soared its own backline to the attacking third, and superbly split Miller and Harms, who crept off his goal-line. But Harms blocked Virginia Stephen Annor Gyamfi's advance, and though he got the header off, Miller trailed to clear the goal-line scare.

“No nerves, no nerves, with No. 5 back there,” captain defender Joey Maher said. “I know he's always making plays, saving the backline countless times. He’s an unbelievable player.”

Miller slid into the net. Seven minutes later, he sprawled on the grass to prevent another Virginia shot that headed for the inside of the post. At minimum, it could’ve created a rebound chance for the Cavaliers. Miller, who transferred to Indiana last season and rarely played, has turned into an everyday starter this season with Hugo Bacharach’s move to the midfield. Miller has assimilated into Indiana’s bulldozer. It’s what the Hoosiers do, reload and win in “Tourney Time” — what Jerry Yeagley calls is the main thread of the program’s tradition of excellence.

Indiana has been tested in varying ways this tournament. The Hoosiers led 2-0 to Lipscomb in the Round of 48, and had to lock the 2-1 lead. Indiana went to play No. 10 Wake Forest, trailed twice, and went on to win in overtime. On Sunday, the Hoosiers went up 1-0 quick but had to preserve that vulnerable lead. Indiana has experience in that, shutting out Penn State 1-0 to win the Big Ten Tournament.

The Hoosiers have been battle-tested. And Sunday was predictable. The last six Indiana-Virginia meetings, spanning 1984-2000, have been decided by one goal. Indiana has eight national titles (last in 2012) and the Cavaliers have seven (last in 2014). Regardless, Sunday’s Sweet 16 pushed that one-goal decider streak to seven, Indiana winning the last two.

“This would be one of my favorites,” Yeagley said Sunday. “Not because it's No. 200 … It's on the road against one of the blue bloods and I mean, the guys knew this was a little more personal for me, but they're doing this for the program. You know, it was just a little icing on top. When we won, they said, ‘I know this one means a little extra special.'”

Indiana will play the winner of the No. 2 Notre Dame-Western Michigan match. If the Irish win, the Hoosiers will travel to South Bend for the Elite Eight. If unseeded Western Michigan wins, then Western Michigan and unseeded Indiana will submit bids to the NCAA to host next weekend.

Oh, and the winner of the prior two NCAA Tournament meetings between Indiana and Virginia went on to become the national champion. 

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