#2 Indiana University Men’s Soccer dominates DePaul in home opener
The second ranked Indiana University Men’s Soccer team got their first win of the season with dominating 2-0 performance over the DePaul Blue Demons Tuesday Night on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. This was the first ever regular season meeting between these two teams, but they have seen each other playing two preseason matches before the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Hoosiers are 1-0-1 on the season while the Blue Demons drop to 1-1 on the season. Indiana dominated the match from start to finish. Indiana outshot the Blue Demons 31-1 on shots, 9-1 on shots on goal. DePaul committed 13 Fouls and 7 for the Hoosiers. IU had 10 corner kicks as DePaul did not have a corner kick. DePaul was called for 4 offsides and just 1 for IU.
The Hoosiers controlled the possession from start of the match as Indiana outshot DePaul 15-0 and the Hoosiers had 3 shots on goal. Indiana tested DePaul Goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz who made three first half saves while Indiana Goalkeeper JT Harms did not make a save as the Blue Demons did not have a first half shot. DePaul committed nine fouls and Marek Ganda was given a yellow card for unsporting at the 43:09 mark. IU had four corner kicks while DePaul did not have a corner kick as the Hoosiers were called for offsides once. Indiana had plenty of chances with a couple shots hitting the post as the Blue Demon backline was on their heels all match long. Going to the break the Indiana knew that the opportunities were there to but one on the board. “The locker room was calm” Quentin Helmer said after the match. “Stay patient they are a dangerous team, and they can get us, but we knew we could get goals and were relieved that we won but can do better with 31 shots and only two goals” Helmer Said.
In the second half, the Hoosiers had 3 shots before the Blue Demons got their first shot of the game when Collin Mackey went bottom left of the net and JT Harms made his first save at the 56:26. 3 minutes and 55 seconds later Collins Oduro went top right of the next Gandhi Cruz made a remarkable save as he did all match long. Seven seconds later Maoloune Goumballe had a shot off target but the attacking pressure of the Hoosiers was relentless. DePaul’s Felipe Corral was given a yellow card for unsporting at the 61:38 mark. The Hoosiers finally got on the board at the 66:35 mark when Freshman Collins Oduro scored his second goal of the season on header down in the box with the assist from Samuel Sarver for his second of the season and his 10th career assist as he sent it into the box and found Oduro to get it past Cruz for the first goal of the game. Redshirt Senior Quentin Helmer scored at the 75:44 mark when he went top left of goal for his 1st goal of the season and 3rd career goal as Karsen Henderlong gets is 1st assist of the season and his 3rd of his IU career and his 10th of his college career after he started at Xavier. The Hoosiers played a man up for the final six and half minutes as Felipe Corral was sent off 83:35 for a serious foul after getting a yellow card in the first half.
DePaul Goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz made seven saves and the Senior from Aurora Illinois could never catch his breath as the Hoosiers attack never stopped testing him. JT Harms got his 7th career shutout as a Hoosier making just one save and the ninth of his career after he transferred from Duke. Indiana is now 33-10-9 all-time in-home openers have won 11 of the last 13 with 2 ties. Indiana is 355-70-52 all time at Bill Armstrong Stadium and 67-6-1 since 2016. The Hoosiers have not had back-to-back losses in the regular season since November 1, 2013. Indiana will host sixth ranked Washington on Friday night at 8 pm in the first game of the IU Addias Credit Union Classic. The Huskies put the Hoosiers out in 2021 Sweet 16 and for Samuel Sarver the game is a revenge game. “This a big game and one that I love playing in besides NCAA Tournament Games” Sarver Said after the match. “I love competition and they love playing against us and I am excited to play in this game Friday Night” Sarver Said.
Former Indiana University Football player Dan Feeney traded to the Chicago Bears
Former Indiana football player Dan Feeney has been traded from the Miami Dolphins to the Chicago Bears. Feeney is entering his seventh year in the NFL after being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with a third-round pick back in the 2023 NFL Draft. A four-season starter for coach Kevin Wilson and the Indiana Hoosiers from 2012-16, this will now be the third professional team Feeney has played for. The interior lineman from IU played for the Chargers from 2017-20, for the New York Jets from 2021-22 and was originally signed by Miami this offseason. However, as first reported by ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Feeney’s tenure with the Dolphins was short lived, not even lasting a full summer. With young offensive lineman Teven Jenkins reeling from injuries, Chicago gave up a 2024 sixth round draft pick in order to acquire Feeney, who has played all three interior line positions throughout his NFL career.
Few players were more dependable on the football field for the Indiana Hoosiers during the mid-2010s than Feeney. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman from Orland Park, Ill., arrived in Bloomington and immediately played as a true freshman, starting all 12 games during the 2012 season. Unfortunately, Feeney missed the entirety of the 2013 college football season after suffering a foot injury in fall camp. He received a medical redshirt that season and returned to start for three more campaigns in Bloomington from 2014-16.
Feeney was a major catalyst behind the dominant 2,036-yard rushing season from running back Tevin Coleman in 2014. He also helped spur multiple 1,000-yard seasons from backs Jordan Howard and Devine Redding in 2015 and 2016. For his efforts, Feeney was named a first team All-American in both ’15 and ’16, becoming only the fourth Indiana football player in program history to earn the status twice. The other three IU legends to accomplish that same feat were Anthony Thompson, John Isenbarger and Pete Pihos. Feeney was also a major positive for the Hoosiers in the locker room, not just on the football field. He was named a team captain in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Bears and Feeney begin the 2023 NFL regular season on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4:25pm when the Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago for the teams’ first game of the year.
Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell Named WNBA Eastern Conference player of the week
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Mitchell’s second career Player of the Week recognition makes her the second Fever player this season, joining Aliyah Boston, to earn Player of the Week honors. From August 18-27, Mitchell averaged 23.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 47.7 percent (31-of-65) from the floor and 11-of-26 from 3-point range. In Thursday’s home win against the Seattle Storm, Mitchell finished with a season-high 36 points. Mitchell shot 10-of-20 shooting from the floor and made a career-high 12 free throws for the second most points scored in a regular season game in franchise history. It was also Mitchell’s fourth career game scoring at least 30 points.
In last Sunday’s road win at the Phoenix Mercury, Mitchell’s 28 points guided her past 3,000 career points. She became the 21st player in league history, and the second fastest, to hit the 3,000-point threshold while also recording 400 made 3-pointers and 500 assists, per Across the Timeline. Mitchell also went 5-for-10 from 3-point range and dished out four assists against Phoenix. Mitchell enters the week fifth in the WNBA in made 3-point field goals this season with 85. She leads the Fever in points per game (17.8 ppg) in the highest scoring season of her career at 624 points recorded so far. Mitchell also averages the fifth most minutes played in the WNBA this year at 33.4 mpg. Mitchell and the Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday at 7pm against the Dallas Wings and the game will be broadcast on ION.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer players Lauren Costello and Piper Coffield earn weekly Big Ten Awards
Indiana defender’s Lauren Costello earned Big Ten Defender of the Week while teammate Piper Coffield was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week Big Ten Week after their outstanding performances in week two, the conference announced on Tuesday afternoon. The Hoosiers posted two clean sheets against Morehead State and Evansville.
Costello was named the Big Ten Defender of the Week after tallying two assists in the wins over Morehead State and Evansville. The Mechanicsburg, Penn., native leads Indiana with four assists and one goal on the season. She tallied two assists on the week with the first coming against Morehead State in the 46th minute as teammate Paige Webber received a long ball from Costello on the opening kick to start the second half against the Eagles. Costello assisted on the gamewinner against Evansville in the 18th minute. She recorded four shots with one on goal in 90 minutes against the Aces.
Coffield earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week after she held the backline strong, adding two more clean sheets. She scored her first career goal against Morehead State on a penalty kick in the 69th minute in the dominating 3-0 win over the Eagles. The Mars, Penn., native has started in all four games as a freshman playing in all 360 minutes.
The defender duo anchored the Hoosier’s backline holding Morehead State and Evansville to only four shots each. The eagles held three on goal with the Aces seeing only one. The honor marks the first Defensive Player of the Week award from the Big Ten since Claudia Day in 2018 and the first Freshman of the Week nominee since sophomore Olivia Smith last season. The Hoosiers will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday for a matchup against the Tennessee Lady Vols at Regal Soccer Stadium at 6pm.
Indiana University Softball adds two games with Evansville to the Fall Softball Schedule
The Indiana Softball program will add two more games to the 2023 fall ball schedule. The Hoosiers will play a doubleheader Saturday, Sep. 30 at Evansville. Those game will have start times of 1 and 3 p.m.
The full fall ball schedule is as follows: Saturday, Sep. 16 vs. Bryant & Stratton College 2 PM Sunday, Sep. 24 vs. Indiana State (10 Innings) 1 PM Saturday, Sep. 30 at Evansville (DH) 1 & 3 PM Friday, Oct. 6 Intersquad Scrimmage 6 PM Sunday, Oct. 8 vs. Lakeland 1 PM Friday, Oct. 13 vs. Louisville (DH) 5:30 & 7:30 PM
Two Former Indiana University Football players are cut by their respective NFL Teams
The roster trim for the 2023 NFL season is here, and unfortunately, former Indiana football running back Stevie Scott III didn’t make the cut. Scott III was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday after previously signing with the team on Aug. 10. Prior to that, Scott III had played for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. Scott III played for coach Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers from 2018-20 and rushed for 1,137 yards during the 2018 season as a true freshman. Though he failed to reach 1,000 yards again during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the running back had a fantastic career in Bloomington.
In total, Scott III ran for 2,543 yards and 30 touchdowns during his three seasons at Indiana. He was also a major threat in the passing game, racking up 55 receptions for 383 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, Scott III was a major contributor for the 2019 and 2020 IU football teams that put together one of the greatest two-year stretches in the history of the program, going 14-7 over that span. Prior to his brief preseason tenure with the Cardinals, Scott III had spent time with the New Orelans Saints and the Denver Broncos back in 2021. During the 2022 USFL season, Scott III ran for 295 yards and a touchdown on 78 carries with the Panthers. The 6-foot-2, 231-pound running back originally from Syracuse, N.Y., burst onto the scene in Bloomington a half-decade ago, and has had an up-and-down career since then. It didn’t work out for him in Arizona, and now we see if he either continues in his pursuit of an NFL roster spot, or perhaps returns to another league like the USFL.
Indiana football offensive lineman Luke Haggard was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday. NFL teams are required to trim their rosters down to just 53 players by the 4pm Tuesday deadline and the former Hoosier unfortunately did not make the cut. Haggard signed with Tampa Bay back in April as an undrafted free agent. Haggard arrived in Bloomington in 2020 as a junior college transfer to coach Tom Allen’s team. IU was originally unsure of what position the Santa Rose, Calif., product would play in Bloomington, but he quickly established himself as a core contributor to one of the greatest teams in the history of Indiana football. Standing at a massive 6-foot-7, Haggard took up the left tackle position at IU. He started four games in the 2020 season and appeared in six of the team’s eight matchups.
Following his debut year in Bloomington, Haggard would start in 23 of 24 games for the Hoosiers during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He missed the 2021 season opener with an injury, and after that, started 23 straight games at left tackle for Indiana. Haggard also won the Chris Dal Sasso Award for his efforts during the 2021 season, which is given to the most outstanding lineman on the Indiana football team. It’s hard for any undrafted free agent to make an NFL roster on their first try, and this is far from the end of Haggard’s journey. He worked his way up from two years of JUCO football to three years of Big Ten football and now will continue fighting for his chance to play NFL football.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson