Indiana University Men’s Soccer Travels to #8 Wisconsin Indiana (2-3-4, 1-1-1 B1G) is set to face its third consecutive ranked opponent Tonight, traveling to Wisconsin (6-1-1, 1-1-1 B1G) the No. 8-ranked team in the country as of Monday. Kickoff is set for 8pm at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex. Fans can watch the match on the B1G+ digital platform. As the calendar turns, the Hoosiers hope to find success like they’ve had in recent Octobers. In its last three seasons, Indiana is 16-3-6 (.760) in the month of October. In 2023, IU’s run of 12 wins in its final 14 matches began with an Oct. 7 victory after it started 0-1-2 in conference play. Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley returns to Madison, where he began his head coaching career in 2009. Yeagley spent one season at Wisconsin before returning to Indiana as head coach in 2010, where he’s been the winningest coach in men’s college soccer since.
Wisconsin won its first five matches of the season before opening Big Ten play. Since, the Badgers are 1-1-1 in conference – an identical league mark with IU – and now own a 6-1-1 overall record. The Badgers are led by third-year head coach Neil Jones, who has compiled an 18-12-11 record in Madison and a 99-66-37 career mark in 12 seasons as a head coach. Wisconsin averages 2.5 goals per game while allowing 0.8. However, the Badgers have been shut out twice in Big Ten play. The Big Ten’s two leaders in points are both Badgers: freshman forward Dean Boltz (19; eight goals, three assists) and sophomore midfielder Trip Fleming (five goals, three assists). Indiana has historically dominated the all-time series with Wisconsin, winning 42 of 57 meetings. The Hoosiers won the first nine matchups to open the series and are undefeated in 14 matches since 2014, while losing only once during the Todd Yeagley era (17 matches).
Senior forward Tommy Mihalic has two goals and one assist in his career against Wisconsin. In 2022, the last time IU visited the Badgers, Mihalic played a starring role, scoring the opening goal and then providing the assist to IU’s winning score in the 2-1 result. As a freshman, Mihalic’s 106th-minute golden goal was the difference in a 1-0 victory as IU secured an important three points in the conference table.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer Drops 1-0 Big Ten match at Washington Indiana (6-4-1, 1-4 B1G) dropped a physical match against the Washington Huskies (6-3-2, 3-2-0) Sunday afternoon at Husky Stadium. Senior goalie Jamie Gerstenberg grabbed a couple quick saves early on to keep things at 0-all. In the 39th minute, an IU foul allowed a close free kick by Washington, which was saved by Gerstenberg to maintain a scoreless first half. To start out the second half freshman forward Layla Sirdah drove in a shot in the 49th minute but couldn’t find the back of the net. Gerstenberg remained a wall for the Hoosiers, fighting off several shots on goal by the Huskies. Senior defender Camille Hamm made a volley save in the 60th minute to keep Washington out of the net. In the 62nd minute senior midfielder Hope Paredes earned a red card, leaving the Hoosiers down a player for the duration of the match. Washington’s Kelsey Branson capitalized off IU’s man down as she scored the eventual game winner in the 84th minute putting the Huskies up 1-0. Indiana falls to 0-1 in the all-time series with Washington. The Huskies outshot the Hoosiers 11 shots to three. Gerstenberg earned five saves for the Hoosiers. Junior forward Marisa Grzesiak led the team with two shots and one shot on goal. The Hoosiers continue play on the road on Sunday, Oct. 6th to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes 2 p.m. on BIG+.
Indiana University Field Hockey Splits the Weekend in Pennsylvania Despite a late push and last second shot opportunity, Indiana fell just short at No. 19 Penn State, 3-2, on Friday afternoon. With the loss, Indiana is now 2-5 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. Natalie Freeman scored in the fifth minute of the match to put Penn State on the board and up 1-0. Sophia Gladieux. Gladieux added on to the Penn State lead, finding the back of the cage in the 14th minute to make it a 2-0 game. Just before halftime the Hoosiers found momentum as Inés Garcia Prado would score for the Hoosiers in the 27th minute. Theresea Ricci had the assist. Drew Taylor scored for Penn State in the 41st minute to give Penn State a 3-1 lead. Madison Britton assisted on the goal. Sydney Keld had a clutch goal for the Hoosiers in the 54th minute to cut into Penn State’s deficit and make it a 3-2 game. Lara Mortz had the assist. Indiana would have one more opportunity, getting a shot off of a penalty corner with eight seconds remaining, but Keld’s shot was just barely wide. IU and Penn State each had 10 shots. Saide Canelli recorded three saves in the game. Garcia Prado and Keld each recorded their third goal of the season. Five Hoosiers recorded a shot on goal (Jemima Cookson, Keld, Emma Thompson, Garcia Prado, Meghan Dillon.
It was a successful Sunday as Indiana dominated from start to finish at Lock Haven, earning a 3-0 road win. The Hoosiers were led by senior Yip van Wonderen who scored all three goals in a hat trick effort. With the win, Indiana is now 3-5 on the season. Indiana got off to a quick start when senior Yip van Wonderen scored her first goal of the day in the 5th minute on a penalty corner to put Indiana up 1-0. Graduate student Lara Mortz had the assist. Indiana freshman Sadie Canelli made two saves in the second period to protect Indiana’s 1-0 lead. The Hoosiers would extend the lead to 2-0 in the 43rd minute in the third period when van Wonderen found the back of the cage again on an assist from sophomore Theresa Ricci. The hat trick was secured on a 48th minute goal in the fourth quarter when van Wonderen scored unassisted to put an exclamation point on the win. This was van Wonderen’s first hat trick of her collegiate career. She now has four goals on the season and 12 for her career. The win was Indiana’s second ever meeting with Lock Haven in program history. The last time the two teams met, Indiana had another road win over the Eagles in 2012. Ricci’s assist was her second in as many games.
Mortz’s assist was her third of the season. Indiana will be back in action next on Friday at 1pm for a Big Ten match versus Maryland at Deborah Tobias Field in Bloomington.
Indianapolis Colts beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 at Lucas Oil Stadium The Indianapolis Colts raced out to an early lead, then held on for a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday after veteran back-up quarterback Joe Flacco replaced an injured Anthony Richardson. Richardson was hit by Pittsburgh safeties Deshon Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick on a 14-yard run midway through the first quarter. The second-year quarterback immediately grabbed his hip. He sat out two plays before returning and pulling up on another run. He left the field to be evaluated in the locker room and was later ruled out for the rest of the game with a hip injury. Flacco, the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, finished 16-for-26 for 168 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Colts got off to a terrific start, putting together one of their best drives of the season on their first possession. Richardson found wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for a 32-yard gain on their first play from scrimmage. Running back Jonathan Taylor capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run behind a key block from rookie offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, who started at center. Veteran Ryan Kelly missed the game with a neck injury. Two plays after Flacco replaced Richardson for good, he threw a 4-yard touchdown to wide receiver Josh Downs to put the Colts ahead, 14-0. The Colts’ defense continued to show improvement from a slow start to the season, stopping Steelers’ quarterback Justin Fields on a fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line. The offense turned the short field into a 33-yard Matt Gay field goal for a 17-0 lead. The teams exchanged punts before Pittsburgh appeared poised to score, but wide receiver George Pickens fumbled at the Indianapolis 5-yard line. Defensive back Julian Blackmon recovered the ball to end the Steelers’ scoring threat. Pittsburgh finally scored right before the break as kicker Chris Boswell booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired to make the game 17-3 at halftime.
The teams swapped punts to start the second half, then the Colts’ defense recovered another fumble. They failed to take advantage of the takeaway as Gay missed a 54-yard field goal. The Steelers cut into the Colts’ lead with a 5-yard Fields touchdown run. The Colts answered right back as Flacco converted three third downs with the last being a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Drew Ogletree to put the Colts ahead, 24-10. Pittsburgh cut the deficit back to seven as Fields hit running back Najee Harris for 32 yards, then scored his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run. Gay added a 35-yard field goal to make it 27-17, but the Steelers had yet another response as Fields found tight end Pat Freiermuth for an 8-yard score to make it a three-point game. Taylor left the game with ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) and defensive end Kwity Paye (quadricep) did not play. The Colts evened their record at 2-2 before heading to Jacksonville next week, a place they have not won since the 2014 season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. next Sunday on CBS.
Purdue University Football Fires Offensive Coordinator Graham Harrell and Jason Simmons will call plays for the rest of the season Coach Ryan Walters hired Graham Harrell to put his stamp on Purdue’s trademark offense. He lasted just 16 games as offensive coordinator. Less than 24 hours after announcing Harrell had been fired, Walters told reporters at his weekly news conference that Jason Simmons will take over the play-calling duties for the rest of this season at the Cradle of Quarterbacks. “Obviously, not an easy conversation,” Walters said, describing the decision with Harrell. “But this is a business. It has nothing to do with anything personal. I think Graham’s a great coach, just, you know, for whatever reason, it wasn’t working here.”
The move came one day after the Boilermakers (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) lost their third straight game since routing FCS opponent Indiana State in the season opener. Since then, little has gone right for Purdue. Over the past three games, Purdue has endured two first-half shutouts, been outscored 83-17 in the first three quarters and seen quarterback Hudson Card throw the same number of TD passes as Pick 6’s (three). And while the defense has dealt with other obstacles — allowing 362 yards rushing in a 66-7 blowout to then No. 18 Notre Dame, the worst loss in school history — it’s the offense that seems to be stuck. “I believe we have a better team than we’ve been showing the last three weeks and there’s a lot of football still to be played,” Walters said. “I feel like if I didn’t do anything right now, it would be kind of like waving a white flag on the season and nobody in that building is ready to do that. So if a change was going to be made in December, I just didn’t think it would be fair for everyone involved.”
Simmons certainly brings a new element to Purdue’s offense. Purdue hired him this season to be an offensive analyst after he spent last season — his only other college coaching job — as Miami (Ohio) running backs coach. Around Indiana, Simmons is better known as head coach of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He was there from 2018-22 and led the Giants to four consecutive Final Four appearances in the state playoffs. While Walters is confident Simmons can find some solutions yet this season, Walters declined to commit to making Simmons the play-caller beyond this season. “We’ll get there when we get there. Right now, we’re focused on trying to get the best plan — offense, defense, special teams — to go win a ballgame against a team this program hasn’t beat in a long time,” Walters said, referring to Saturday’s game at Wisconsin, winners of 17 straight in the series. “I’ll help a little more in that room just to add another set of eyes and some insight.” Walters chose Harrell as one of his first hires, bringing him in from West Virginia following the 2022 season. Harrell also has coached at Oklahoma State, Washington State, North Texas and Southern California. He had a record-breaking career as Texas Tech’s starting quarterback. Harrell played one season with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders then spent three seasons with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and training camp in 2013 with the New York Jets before pursuing a coaching career.
Indy Eleven Blank Miami FC 4-0 in Carroll Stadium Saturday Night Indy Eleven forward Augi Williams became the third player in franchise history to record a hat trick to lead the Boys in Blue to a 4-0 victory over Miami FC at Carroll Stadium on Saturday night. Williams scored all his goals in a 13-minute span in the second half to increase a 1-0 lead to the final margin. Forward Elliot Collier came off the bench to assist on the first and third of Augi’s goals, and defender Logan Neidlinger recorded his first career assist on the other one. Augi now has eight goals on the season to rank second on the Eleven behind Jack Blake, and he climbed three spots in the USL Championship Top Ten list to a tie for sixth all-time with 74 career goals in league history, just one goal behind teammate Sebastian Guenzatti.
The other Boys in Blue to record hat tricks are Manuel Arteaga on June 4, 2022, at Charleston and Eamon Zayed twice—June 12, 2016, vs. North Carolina and August 4, 2016, vs. Jacksonville. The Boys in Blue tied a franchise record with four goals in a half, matching the total for that June 4, 2022, match at Charleston. The first goal tonight came on a Jack Blake penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Blake is a perfect 6-6 on penalty kicks this season, one behind the franchise record of seven by captain Aodhan Quinn last season and Ayoze. Goalie Hunter Sulte made one save to record his seventh clean sheet this season. The Boys in Blue moved up one spot to fifth in the Eastern Conference with the victory. Indy Eleven hosts Marvel Super Hero™ Night Saturday at 7pm. at Carroll Stadium vs. USL Championship Players’ Shield leader Louisville City FC.