Indiana Breaks Through After Scoreless First Half, Defeats DePaul 2-0 in Home Opener

The Hoosiers earned their first win of the season Tuesday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium and improved to 32-10-9 in home-openers all-time. Indiana staggeringly outshot DePaul 31-1 in 90 minutes. Collins Oduro and Quinten Helmer scored the two second-half goals.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Sixty minutes in, right as spectators may have started to question whether Indiana’s shots were smeared with goal repellent, or DePaul keeper Gandhi Cruz wore magnetic gloves, Collins Oduro broke the suspense.

Indiana’s 22-1 shot advantage, which was 15-0 at the break, would not be futile. 

Oduro, who already had five of the 22 shots shots, lurked unattended at the back post in the 66th minute. The freshman crouched to yield velocity for his header and tucked it inside the post to open the scoring. Fewer than 10 minutes later, Quinten Helmer, who didn’t play in the team’s preseason, casually drilled Indiana’s next goal from about 20 yards away with his left boot. With goals from Oduro and Helmer, the Hoosiers won 2-0 Tuesday night in their home opener, moving to 1-0-1 on the season.

Indiana outside midfielder Sam Sarver bore the cross that assisted Oduro. Sarver, whose header in the first half clanked off the likewise far post, repeatedly made runs down the wing in the second half in rapid sequences. Sarver didn't seem to tire, though the junior forward admitted post-match that he was too exhausted to carry out the duo's planned celebration by the time of Oduro's goal. Sarver knew he was being too fancy with prior crosses and just tried to get it over the defenders' heads. 

"At halftime, we were all very positive," Sarver said. "We knew what was coming, but I told them, I said 'When I get the ball, someone just stay back post because I promise I'll beat the kid. You're just gonna tap it in.' Luckily, Collins took my order ... "I said, ‘I'm gonna play the ball. Just be there, please.’"

Though possession statistics were unavailable, Indiana likely controlled at least 80% of ball possession in the first half, perhaps even more. In the 17th minute, Jack Wagoner’s high-powered shot, with plenty of space, was saved. Oduro was unable to shoot the awkward kneecap-height rebound. As five minutes remained in the first half, freshman Clay Murador and sophomore Luka Bezerra were involved in two favorable chances. But both were either blocked or hit the post, like the countless shots before that. 

"I told the guys at half, I said, 'You really couldn't be as dominant as you were, except the final pass to goal,'" Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said. "That was missing. So first half, you saw a couple of maybe the wrong decision, maybe wait a little bit, maybe a little unselfish. A couple just lack of composure, and the keeper made a couple of good saves. But for us to have what, 20-some shots in the first half and they had nothing. This is a team that plays in the Big East. That's not a slouch team."

Within the first 15 minutes of the second half, it was more of the similar narrow mishaps for the Hoosiers. Playing the wing opposite Sarver, Tommy Mihalic’s point-blank shot near the penalty marker hit the crossbar and flew up in the air. Oduro’s long-range strike, the first that powerful by any Hoosier for some time Tuesday, was saved by Cruz. Nearing the 65th minute, Sarver tripped himself in the box, and Hugo Bacharach, the tallest player on the pitch, overshot his header well over the crossbar.

At last, Oduro's goal pardoned Indiana's 22 missed shots. Soon after, Helmer made up for Oduro's similar long-range strike that was saved before his 66th-minute goal. Helmer, who had discomfort in his knee and quad in the preseason, casually dribbled near where Oduro took his saved shot mentioned above, then drilled the upper left corner from about 20 yards. It was unreachable for Cruz, who ended with seven saves. Despite how casual it looked, Yeagley wasn't shocked. He'd seen Helmer nail it in practice. Helmer wasn’t one of the 11 starters Tuesday night and played 14 minutes.

The first 65 minutes of Tuesday's win was somewhat reminiscent of Indiana's 3-3 draw to Portland in 2022, which also marked the Hoosiers' second game of the season in their home opener. Last August, Indiana went up 3-2 by halftime – outshot Portland 15-2 in the second 45 minutes – and yet, settled for the draw. On Tuesday, however, that didn't occur. Rather, Indiana didn't concede any goals, staggeringly outshot DePaul 31-1, with 9-1 in shots on target, and picked up three points with the win. 

“We've started years with a couple of ties,” Yeagley said. “It's not the season, but certainly this performance tonight, if we don't get three points, it would have felt as though it would have been kind of a loss. Last year, Portland with the lead was an example. Like, [we] dominated a very good team. [Portland] had a few more chances, but that game should have been put away. That's how we felt this game last year." 

Yeagley praised DePaul and was pleased with his team's relentless pressure Tuesday night. And, if the Hoosiers could earn this win before their top-25 match with Washington at home Friday, it would considerably sweeten the team's mentality. Sarver is particularly excited for Friday night: the chance to "get one back" from the team's Sweet 16 loss to Washington in the 2021 NCAA Tourney his freshman season.

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