Hoosiers face final effort for playoff position on senior day / 2-1 win

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by Zain Pyarali

The Big Ten standings are tight heading into the final day of the regular season, and the IU men’s soccer team is right in the middle of it.

Maryland locked up the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, and the remaining seven spots will be decided Sunday with all games being played at 1 p.m. IU currently sits fourth in the conference standings and faces second-place Michigan State in the last game of the season.

With 18 different scenarios involving the Hoosiers and their placement in the Big Ten tournament, the only one they need to know is if they win they earn a first-round game at home.

“This is a huge game Sunday,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Huge implications for our Big Ten seeding and for postseason maneuvering. This group is really confident, they’re having fun and it was a really good week of training.”

If IU can knock off Michigan State at home and Penn State loses against Northwestern on Sunday, IU will have the two seed in the tournament. If Penn State wins, however, IU will be the three seed.

If IU can’t defeat Michigan State on Senior Day, then it’ll have to hit the road in the first round.

One senior that will be celebrating his final regular season game at Yeagley Field will be goalkeeper Christian Lomeli. After sitting on the bench the first 14 games of the season, Yeagley threw Lomeli into the starting lineup at Wisconsin two games ago.

“Given the Big Ten tournament coming up and the possibility of an NCAA tournament run, I was excited as can be to hop in goal,” Lomeli said. “I’m just kind of blessed to be in this situation.”

Lomeli recorded two shutouts in his first two starts, but he will have a much tougher task ahead of him against Michigan State.

Michigan State checks in at No. 13 in the nation this week and is coming off its biggest win of the year after defeating No. 12 Notre Dame on Tuesday on the road, 1-0.

Since falling at No. 1 Maryland on Sept. 23, Michigan State has won seven of its last nine games with a loss to Penn State being the only negative result in that span.

Yeagley said the reason Lomeli replaced fellow senior goalkeeper in net wasn’t performance. Rather, it was meant to ignite a spark on the field for the rest of the players.

Senior midfielder Tanner Thompson will be one of seven seniors being honored Sunday afternoon. After his first career hat trick against St. Louis, Thompson said he’s ready to take that momentum into the game against Michigan State.

“We just have the same game plan, and if we get chances we just have to be clinical in our decision making in the final third,” Thompson said. “The main goal at the end of the day is whoever scores more goals, so we need to make sure we’re clinical in our moments and take advantage of those opportunities.”

Yeagley said he liked the way his team responded since Lomeli has been back in goal.

“I like the feel of the team. I like the way they’re playing, the finishing,” Yeagley said. “We’re going to need to play like that this time of the year to beat Michigan State and the teams that come after them on the way to a championship.”

idsnews.com/article/2016/10/hoosiers-face-final-effort-for-playoff-position-on-senior-day

Go Hoosiers!

 

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Videos from CTL and players prior MSU match

VIDEO: Yeagley on the seniors, St. Louis win and Michigan State
Videos by Seth Tackett
Men’s Soccer Coach Todd Yeagley during media availability on Friday October 28, 2016.

http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/...-the-seniors-st-louis-win-and-michigan-state/

VIDEO: Defender McConnell and the media after Friday’s practice
Senior Billy McConnell fields questions from the media during availability on Friday October 28, 2016.

http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/...mcconell-and-the-media-after-friday-practice/

VIDEO: Forward Panchot talks to the media ahead of MSU match
Forward Austin Panchot during talks to the media during availability on Friday October 28, 2016.

http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/...anchot-talks-to-the-media-ahead-of-msu-match/

Go Hoosiers!

 

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#5 Indiana Hosts #13 Michigan State on Senior Day

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The No. 5-ranked Indiana Hoosiers will host the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans on Senior Day at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.

Kickoff for the team's regular-season finale is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed live on BTN Plus, while live stats for the match can be found at IUHoosiers.com.

SETTING THE SCENE
• The No. 5-ranked Indiana University men's soccer team enters Sunday's contest with the Michigan State Spartans with an overall record of 9-1-6 and a mark of 2-0-5 in the Big Ten.
• The Hoosiers will be honoring the team's seven seniors playing their final regular season game at Armstrong Stadium - Richard Ballard, Derek Creviston, Phil Fives, Christian Lomeli, Billy McConnell, Tanner Thompson and Colin Webb.
• Last Tuesday, the Hoosiers defeated the Saint Louis Billikens, 5-0, behind Tanner Thompson's first career hat trick. Austin Panchot and Andrew Gutman also had goals for IU in the win.
• Tanner Thompson leads the team with seven goals, three game-winning goals and 16 points on the season. Richard Ballard is second on the team with 10 points on four goals and two assists.
• IU's unbeaten 10-game streak (6-0-4) to start the season was the first for the program since 1997 and was the ninth-best start in team history.
• The Hoosiers come in to the 2016 season coming off another terrific season in 2015, reaching the NCAA Tournament for a record 29-straight season and 40th overall in program history.

NEWS AND NOTES
• Tanner Thompson was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award.
• Colin Webb was named CoSIDA Academic All-District for the second-straight season.
• IU earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the sixth time in program history and for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
• Senior Tanner Thompson and junior Grant Lillard were two of 30 players named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List in July. Indiana is one of just four schools in the nation to have two players on the prestigious list, joining UCLA, Seattle and Boston University.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
• The No. 13 Michigan State Spartans come to Bloomington on Sunday with an overall record of 12-3-1 on the season and a mark of 4-2-1 in the Big Ten. MSU enters the weekend in second place in the league.
• Michigan State has won three matches in a row entering Sunday, having beat No. 12 Notre Dame, 1-0, in South Bend last Tuesday.
• In four matches against ranked teams this season, the Spartans are 3-1-0, beating No. 12 SMU, No. 17 Akron and No. 12 Notre Dame. The team's lone loss came at No. 1 Maryland.
• Ryan Sierakowski leads Michigan State with 19 points on the strength of eight goals and three assists.
• In a preseason poll conducted of the league's coaches, MSU was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten. Jimmy Fiscus, Ken Krolicki and Ryan Sierakowski were all named to the conference's preseason honors list.
• Last season, Michigan State finished with an overall record of 8-9-2 on the season that included a mark of 2-4-2 in the Big Ten. In the conference tournament, the Spartans lost to Penn State in the 8/9 match to end their season.

SERIES HISTORY
• In the overall history between Indiana and Michigan State dating back to 1974, the Hoosiers hold a record of 38-8-3 record over the Spartans.
• Last season, Indiana went to East Lansing and defeated MSU, 4-1.
• IU has two of the last three matches, but hasn't beaten the Spartans in Bloomington since 2007, as MSU has posted a record of 3-0-1 in the last four games at Armstrong Stadium.
• Overall, Indiana is 15-3-3 against the Spartans in Bloomington. IU has outscored MSU, 134-30, in the overall series.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT UPDATE
• Entering the final week of play, the Indiana Hoosiers sit in fourth place in the Big Ten with 11 points.
• The Hoosiers can finish as high as second in the Big Ten or as low as sixth.
• The top four seeds will host the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 6.

HOOSIERS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
• Indiana checks in at No. 5 in the College Soccer News and Soccer America rankings, No. 10 in the NCSAA Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings.
• In the fifth NCAA RPI rankings released on Monday, the Hoosiers are ranked No. 30.

IU IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Thursday, the Hoosiers rank fourth in the nation in shots per game (17.06), 11th in shutout percentage (0.56) and 19th in team goals against average (0.69).

@IUMensSoccer
• For all the latest on Indiana University men's soccer, be sure to follow the team at @IUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Live stats and game notes within:
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/10/...hosts-no-13-michigan-state-on-senior-day.aspx

Go Hoosiers!

 

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Game updates: Michigan State at IU soccer / 2-1 win
by Jeremy Price

FINAL
Tanner Thompson with a moment of individual brilliance in the 86th minute to score the game-winner. Thompson nutmegged a defender on the left flank to get into the box, then cut right and laced a shot that went off the bottom of the crossbar and in. Indiana holds off Michigan State’s last-ditch efforts.

IU will be the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament with the win, hosting a Big Ten quarterfinal (Northwestern, I think) next Sunday. HOOSIERS 2, SPARTANS 1

SECOND HALF
75th minute: Indiana was on the front foot to start the second half, but it’s been almost all Michigan State since that first 5-10 minutes. Hoosiers have dodged a couple bullets as the game remains even. HOOSIERS 1, SPARTANS 1

HALFTIME
Michigan State had its moment, but the half largely controlled by Indiana, who once again still finds itself in an even game on the scoreboard. Hoosiers hold an 8-4 advantage in shots, 4-1 in corner kicks, while each team made one save. In other games, Northwestern leads Penn State 1-0 at halftime, while Wisconsin is up 2-0 on Ohio State at halftime. If those results hold with this one, IU ties Penn State for fourth in the Big Ten and a tiebreaker would decide which team hosts the other in the Big Ten quarterfinals. HOOSIERS 1, SPARTANS 1

FIRST HALF
33rd minute: Indiana was pushing to double the lead for quite some time after the first goal, but Michigan State finds the equalizer when a cross by Michael Beckett finds Ryan Sierakowski alone at the back post. Grant Lillard had a swing and miss on the play, while Andrew Gutman was slow getting back to cover that back post. Sierakowski took a touch and blasted the shot past helpless GK Christian Lomeli. HOOSIERS 1, SPARTANS 1

23rd minute: Quick restart on a free kick puts Richard Ballard in on the right side of the box. His drop pass for Phil Fives deflected off the far post, but Trevor Swartz is there for the rebound and pounds home the loose ball for the score on Indiana’s fifth shot of the day. HOOSIERS 1, SPARTANS 0

PREGAME
No. 10 Indiana hosts No. 13 Michigan State for Senior Day in the regular-season finale at Armstrong Stadium. The Hoosiers (9-1-6, 2-0-5 Big Ten) need a win to guarantee a top-four finish in the conference and the right to host next weekend’s Big Ten quarterfinal game. A tie, and Indiana would need Penn State to beat Northwestern plus a draw between Wisconsin and Ohio State in order to get the fourth seed and host a quarterfinal. The Spartans (12-3-1, 4-2-1) are on a three-game winning streak and coming off a 1-0 win over No. 12 Notre Dame. They can also clinch the second seed with a victory, so there’s no shortage of motivation for either side.

http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/2016/10/game-updates-michigan-state-at-iu-soccer/

Go Hoosiers!

Boxscore:

http://iuhoosiers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=msoc&id=11616

GBR!

 

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Thompson’s Late Goal Pushes #5 IU Past #13 Michigan State, 2-1

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The No. 5-ranked Indiana University men's soccer team defeated the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans, 2-1, on Senior Day at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Senior Tanner Thompson scored the game-winner for the Hoosiers with just under five minutes remaining to propel IU to the victory. Trevor Swartz also scored a goal for Indiana in the team's regular-season finale.

With the win, Indiana improves to 10-1-6 on the season overall and earns the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament with a conference mark of 3-0-5. The Spartans fall to 12-4-1 on the year and will be the No. 4 seed in the league tournament with a mark of 4-3-1.

IU will host the No. 7-seeded Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday, Nov. 6 at Armstrong Stadium.

Also with the victory, IU finished the regular season undefeated (6-0-3) at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium for the first time since 2003. That IU team went on to post a record of 9-0-4 at home en route to winning the NCAA Championship.

In the 23rd minute, the Hoosiers were on the attack, looking to take an early lead over MSU. With the ball on the right end line, Richard Ballard passed back to Phil Fives, but a Spartan defender was able to get his foot to the ball, deflecting it across the box and off the right post.

Swartz was there for the rebound and chested it down, firing with his left foot to the near post to beat the diving Michigan State goalkeeper for the goal. Swartz's fourth score of the season gave IU a 1-0 lead.

The Spartans answered, however, in the 33rd minute, as Ryan Sierakowski was able to net his team-leading ninth goal of the year to send the match to halftime all knotted up at 1-1.

For the most of the second half, the Hoosiers controlled possession, but were unable to get a great look at goal. That changed in the 86th minute.

In what can only be described as a moment of individual excellence, Thompson beat his defender on the left end line to find space. The senior then beat a second MSU player and fired a shot from six yards out, hitting the crossbar and finding the back of the net. Thompson's team-leading eighth goal of the year – and fourth this week – was the difference, as IU beat the Spartans, 2-1.

For the match, Indiana out-shot Michigan State, 11-9, with each team getting three shots on goal. IU also had the advantage in corner kicks, 7-5.

Before the match, Indiana honored the team's seven seniors – Richard Ballard, Derek Creviston, Phil Fives, Christian Lomeli, Billy McConnell, Tanner Thompson and Colin Webb – who played their final regular-season match at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

For all the latest on Indiana University men's soccer, be sure to follow the team at @IUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Boxscore within:
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/10/30/mens-soccer-thompsons-late-goal-pushes-no-5-iu-past-no-13-michigan-state-2-1.aspx#

Go Hoosiers!

B10 Standings:
http://www.bigten.org/library/stats/msoc-confsked.html