Thursday night’s top-15 matchup between No. 12-ranked Indiana men’s soccer and No. 8 Notre Dame lived up to its billing as four goals hit the back of the net on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The Hoosiers (0-1-1) and Fighting Irish (0-0-2) battled to a 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 4,573 at Armstrong Stadium, the venue’s largest crowd since the two teams battled in the 2018 Elite Eight. IU punched back after going a goal down late in the first half, responding with two goals between 35 seconds of game time in the second half. Moments later, Notre Dame bookended the scoring from a free-kick, and the game ended in a tie.
Indiana had the better of the chances, firing 18 shots and 10 on goal. Notre Dame freshman goalkeeper Blake Kelly saved eight of those. The Hoosier allowed six shots, four on frame.
KEY MOMENTS
- 16’ –A cross from senior forward Samuel Sarver found senior forward Tommy Mihalic in the box. Mihalic’s header to the back post looked on its way into the top corner, but a diving save from Kelley kept it out.
- 43’ –Against the run of play, Notre Dame took the lead just in front of halftime. Senior midfielder Bryce Boneau’s pass from his own defensive third found sophomore forward Jack Flanagan in a one-on-one with IU senior defender Jansen Miller downfield. Flanagan took Miller on and released from the top of the 18 as soon as he could create separation. The Hoosiers went into the half with a 6-2 shot advantage but a 1-0 deficit.
- 68’ –Freshman forward Michael Nesci opened his collegiate account with an assist from fellow first-year and defender Josh Maher, making his collegiate debut. Maher’s line-breaking pass through the midfield found Nesci, who took his space and hammered a shot into the bottom corner.
- 69’ –Half-a-minute later, the Hoosiers took the lead from another screamer, this time from Mihalic. Notre Dame defenders couldn’t clear senior JT Harms’ free-kick from IU’s 18-yard box, and Mihalic seized the ball in space and finished into the bottom corner.
- 70’ –Moments later, controversy ensued as the Hoosiers were called for a handball in their defensive third. Claiming to have heard a whistle, senior midfielder Patrick McDonald handled a throw-in to concede a free-kick. Notre Dame junior midfielder played the ball in, and senior defender Kyle Genenbacher headed the Irish back level.
NOTABLES
- Indiana welcomed its largest crowd since 2018 with an announced attendance of 4,573 at Bill Armstrong Stadium Thursday night.
- The last three matchups between Indiana and Notre Dame have resulted in draws, all three coming within the last two seasons.
- Indiana moved to 32-10-10 all-time in home openers and 34-10-6 all-time against Notre Dame. The Hoosiers have not suffered a straight defeat to Notre Dame in nine matches, owning a 6-0-3 record since 2017.
- Nesci scored his first-career goal, which also represented Indiana’s first goal of the 2024 season.
- Mihalic registered his 15th-career goal while opening his season account.
- Maher is the seventh Hoosier to debut in two matches this season, starting at left center-back Thursday.
UP NEXT
Indiana stays home for a Sunday matchup with Yale, which has yet to record a result this season. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
