Indiana Soccer Notebook: Hoosiers Face No. 22 Northwestern Tuesday In Big Ten Homestretch

The Big Ten sprint is on in the final week. Indiana is in second with 11 points, two shy of co-leaders Michigan State and Penn State. But with two straight wins in as many Big Ten matches, the Hoosiers would win the regular season title in an outstanding comeback.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — With two more conference wins, Indiana would snatch sole possession of the Big Ten regular-season banner regardless of what other teams do. That’s right, with two wins in as many matches, the Hoosiers would not require any help. They control their own destiny.

The Hoosiers are second in the Big Ten with 11 points, two shy of co-leaders Michigan State and Penn State. But with two remaining matches compared to just one each for the leaders, Indiana’s 17-point ceiling is the highest in the Big Ten. Three teams can only max at 16 points.

In the last week of September, around the midway point of the season, I wrote this column which argued Indiana would resurge in the Big Ten standings and contend for the NCAA Tournament. At the time, the Hoosiers were at the lower part of the table with two points in three matches. They lost to Michigan State and tied twice in matches where they outplayed their opponents.

The argument was based on the fact that Indiana’s backline was performing great, and though the attack was flawed in scoring goals, the assumption was it’d come around with time. And the speculations were that Indiana would turn it around this month, as the program has performed well in October in the past two seasons, going 11-3-4 combined.

Once more, this year’s team delivered — perhaps even better than anticipated.

Indiana is unbeaten in October and has won four consecutive matches. The attack has produced multiple goals in each match, as the Hoosiers picked up nine points to soar into second in the Big Ten standings. The whole team deserves credit, yet standout performances by Hugo Bacharach, Sam Sarver and Karsen Henderlong have greatly contributed to the success.

It began at Penn State, which marked the start of the winning streak. Bacharach, the 6-foot-4 starting center back, made his season debut in the midfield alongside Patrick McDonald. Bacharach’s physicality controlled the space and was impossible to overlook, as he occasionally rushed forward and played two assists to Sarver, Indiana’s go-to scorer.

Sarver has scored three goals this month. So has Henderlong, who only began to start in October and has started all five matches this month. Before that, the senior didn’t start for eight games. Last season, the Xavier transfer made one start in 23 matches and scored only two goals. In three prior seasons with the Musketeers, Henderlong scored 22.

Henderlong’s role last season was peculiar. He added physicality but didn’t quite fit in the attack scheme as one of the substitutes. Now, as one of the consistent starters, the fifth-year striker has been churning out goals and adds another scoring option up top besides Sarver. In the team’s past two matches, this attacking duo has produced both game-winning goals.

Meanwhile, there have been other scorers and facilitators, such as defenders Jansen Miller, Joey Maher, Alex Barger, as well as McDonald. In fact, Miller playing well in the backline allowed for Bacharach to move up to the midfield. Last season, Miller was one of the backup center backs, but like Henderlong, he has produced quality minutes in the newfound starting role.

Indiana’s streak will be tested at No. 22 Northwestern on Tuesday night. The Wildcats lost to Michigan State most recently and sit behind Indiana with 10 points in the packed standings. Northwestern boasts the second-highest goal scorer in the conference with Justin Weiss’ seven, who also has the most assists. Sarver is tied for third with six goals so far this season.

Indiana has won the past five meetings with Northwestern. Its latest loss was during the 2020-21 spring season, which also marked the program’s final year of three-peating the Big Ten regular-season. But with two more Big Ten wins, that title streak will be renewed. The big question is, can the Hoosiers replicate another top-25 victory on the road, like at Penn State. (One poll has Northwestern as high as No. 22). 

It surely would look great on Indiana's NCAA Tournament résumé. In three weeks, Indiana’s RPI has spiked from the mid-80s up to mid-40s. But Northwestern is also right there in the hunt for the conference title. The Wildcats are one of two teams in the top five conference spots — alongside Indiana — that have two matches left and an additional chance to obtain points.

Tuesday night’s match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. 

Related stories on Indiana Soccer: 

• INDIANA BEATS MARYLAND 2-1: Indiana has won four straight. In back-to-back games, the Hoosiers have gotten the game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes. The Sam Sarver and Karsen Henderlong duo account for both. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA BEATS OHIO STATE 2-1: Captain Joey Maher scored the Hoosiers' first goal, but blamed himself for allowing Ohio State's equalizer. Karsen Henderlong picked him up. CLICK HERE
• SEASON OUTLOOK: BACHARACH'S PLACEMENT IN THE MIDFIELD: Defender Hugo Bacharach, starting in the midfield for the first time this season, had two assists Saturday. Bacharach commanded the space; this could be the answer. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA BEATS NO. 19 PENN STATE 2-1 ON THE ROAD: Indiana faced Penn State on the road Saturday at Noon ET, winning 2-1 to leap in the RPI and gain points for the Big Ten title hunt. A recap from Happy Valley: CLICK HERE
• JT HARMS FEATURE: JT Harms dove into goalkeeping at 9 years old. He trained with far older players at academies, but his progress stalled at Duke. At Indiana, a position battle brought humility — and confidence. CLICK HERE