Game Recap and Takeaways:
The 3rd ranked Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Soccer Program fell on Tuesday to the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 1-0. It was a disappointing loss to say the least, as Michigan State has not gotten off to the best start this season. Looking at the Big Ten standings (11 men’s teams), the Spartans land in the 8th spot with a Big Ten record of (now) 1-2-0 (1 win, 2 losses, 0 draws) and an overall record of 4-4-0. The Hoosiers now end up tied with the Spartans for that 8th place position, tied in points and in conference record.
The Hoosiers, of course, have a better overall record and came into this game ranked 3rd in the country. The expectation was to win this game. However, it resulted in Michigan State’s first top-5 win since 2014 and their first shutout against Indiana since 2012. It feels unlikely that this Hoosiers team would be the one to break those numbers for Michigan State, but alas, it happened.
The Spartans beat the Hoosiers by a score of 1-0 behind a fabulous performance from reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the year Zac Kelly. Kelly was everywhere. He saved several strong Indiana chances with his strong reflexes and prevented many others with his impressive eye for the game. Kelly made 5 saves on 8 Hoosier shots and was on fire in the second half where the Hoosiers had 7 of their 8 total shots for the game.
In all, this is one to forget for the Hoosiers. Indiana will no doubt be looking to climb the Big Ten standings in the coming games to make up for this loss and prove to the nation that they are indeed a top 5 team, despite the two losses in the past three games. I firmly believe this Indiana team is the best in the country and can absolutely win a National Championship. Now, it’s putting together consistent performances to get there. It’s midseason, things like these games happen to all types of teams, but what makes a champion is learning from your mistakes and capitalizing come playoff time.
Hoosiers Player of the Match:
My Hoosiers Player of the Match is Breckin Minzey. During the second half, there were several moments where the Hoosiers crashed ahead with additional attackers in an effort to tie the game. In doing so, this left the defense exposed to dangerous Michigan State counter attacks. When the Spartans counter attacked, however, even during odd man rushes where Minzey was alone, Minzey cleaned up the danger. This game could have been much worse if it wasn’t for Minzey’s hard work, positioning, and strong sense of the game.
Other IU Soccer Reads:
–IU Men’s Soccer Season Preview