Local Sports News: November 9, 2023

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Indiana University Men’s Soccer tops Michigan 4-3 in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
The top seeded Indiana University Men’s Soccer team beat the fifth seed Michigan Wolverines 4-3 in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals Wednesday Night on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The Hoosiers will make their 7th straight appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game and their 23rd overall. Indiana is 46-11-3 in the Big Ten Tournament and the Hoosiers have won 15 Big Ten Tournament titles. Indiana will be looking for its 16th tournament title when they host Second Seed Penn State for the Championship at Noon Sunday on the Big Ten Network.  Penn State beat Ohio State 4-3 on Penalty Kicks after a 1-1 draw in the other Big Ten Semifinal in State College PA Wednesday Night.

The Hoosiers have won eight of its last nine matches and improve to 9-1-2 at home this season. The Hoosiers are 11-4-4 on the season. Michigan ends its season at 5-6-7. The Hoosiers are 24-4-5 all time against the Wolverines including 6-0 all time Big Ten Tournament record. Indiana Hed Coach Todd Yeagley is 196-73-54 in his 15 years as a head coach between Wisconsin and Indiana. Yeagley is 189-64-52 in 14 years as the Hoosiers head coach. The Hoosiers are 817-197-116 all time and 363-71-55 at Bill Armstrong Stadium and 75-7-13 since 2016.  The Hoosiers have won 10 or more games in a season for 49th time and only twice have they failed to reach 10 wins during the 1986 and 2013 seasons.

The action was fast and furious in the first half as Indiana got on the board first when Maouloune Goumballe went to the bottom left of goal off his right foot at the 20:41 mark for the 1-0 lead. Michigan scored a minute and then seconds later when Jason Bucknor got a one on one with Indiana goalkeeper JT Harms and went bottom right of goal off his left foot to tie the game with the assist to Simon Vasquez. Indiana took the lead at 35:09 mark when Hugo Bacharach went bottom left of goal off his left foot to make it 2-1 Hoosiers. The Hoosiers added a third goal with 8 seconds left in the half when Tommy Mihalic went top right of goal of his right foot with the assist to Samuel Sarver.

In the Second Half Michigan’s Quin Rogers scored on a penalty kick at 54:00 mark after Alex Barger was called for a foul in the box and the referee awarded the penalty and brought the Wolverines with in one goal. Michigan tied the game at the 71:50 when Matthew Fisher found Riley Ferch and he was able to put it past JT Harms in the bottom left corner of net. The game changed at the 74:29 mark when Michigan’s Jason Bucknor was called for his second yellow card after picking up his first yellow card at the 12:44 mark in the first half and he was sent off as the second yellow card becomes a red card. Indiana took advantage with the extra player as Maouloune Goumballe scored his second goal of the night at 86:07 mark with the assist from Hugo Bacharach going bottom right of goal with his right foot. The Hoosiers closed it out and now faces a Penn State team who the Hoosiers won 2-1 on October 7, in State College.

Indiana outshot 15-13 and Michigan had 9 shots on goal to 7 for IU. JT Harms had five saves for IU and Isaiah Goldson had 2 saves for Michigan. The Wolverines committed 12 fouls and IU had 7 Michigan had 5 corner kicks and the Hoosiers had 2. Michigan was called for offsides three times and Indiana was offside one time.

This was one of the most entertaining soccer games and will go down as an instant classic with 7 goals back and forth after these two teams played to 0-0 draw here in Bloomington on September 26, this was down to the wire and the Hoosiers are back in the Big Ten Championship where they have a chance to clinch their 37 straight appearance and 48th overall in 51 years as a program.

IU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Teri Moren looks for win #400 tonight against Eastern Illinois
The #9 ranked Indiana Hoosiers open the 2023-24 regular season at 7pm this evening in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as they host the Eastern Illinois Panthers. The game will be streaming live on Big Ten Network Plus. Indiana is 35-13 all time in season openers and 23-5 at home and have 10 straight season openers. The Hoosiers have played nine out of their last ten season openers at home with the one exception in the 2021-22 season when the Hoosiers went to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and beat the Butler Bulldogs. 

Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren is looking for career win #400 as she begins her 21st season as a College Basketball Head Coach. Moren is 399-222 in her time with The University of Indianapolis, Indiana State and Indiana University. Moren is the all-time winningest coach at IU with a 200-93 beginning her 10th season. Moren got her 200th win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March when the Hoosiers were a number one seed for the first time in school history beating Tennessee Tech and won the Big Ten Regular Season Championship for the first time since 1983.

The Hoosiers beat Northwood University a division two team from Michigan 111-68 last Wednesday in their only exhibition game. Mackenzie Holmes celebrated her 23rd birthday with 22 of her 28 points in the first half. The Gorham Maine native is back for her fifth and final season and enters this season in 4th on the scoring list with 1,897 points. Holmes is 13 points behind Katrina Abram who has 1,910 and 20 points behind Densie Jackson who has 1,917 and could move up to number 2 on the list behind Tyra Buss who has 2,364 points from 2014-18.

Eastern Illinois lost at IUPUI Monday Night 77-72. Freshman Lalani Ellis scored 21 points, Macy McGlone scored 14, Charita Lewis added 13 and Taris Thornton added 10.  The Panthers were down 41-36 at half and played even with the Jaguars the second half 36-36. Eastern Illinois finished 21-8 a season ago with 14-4 record in the Ohio Valley Conference but did not accept a postseason bid. Eastern Illinois made the NCAA Tournament in 1988. The WNIT in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and the WBI in 2011. The Panthers made the AIAW Division II Elite Eight in 1981.

Matt Bollant is beginning is 22nd year as a head coach with a 424-242 record. Bollant was an assistant coach at the University of Evansville from 1997-2000 and then followed then coach Kathi Bennett to IU from 2000-02 where the Hoosiers won the Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2002. Bollant has been a head coach at Bryan College in Dayton Tennessee, Green-Bay and the University of Illinois. Bollant was 61-94 in five seasons with the Illini going 61-94 and with a WNIT Tournament Appearance.  Bollant took Green Bay to Four NCAA Tournament Appearances and one WNIT Apperance from 2007-12 and the Phoenix made the 2011 Sweet 16.  

The Panthers have 16 Players that represent 6 states along with Australia and Spain. Alana Vinson is 5-11 Redshirt Junior from Indianapolis and played at Roncalli HS. Vinson did not play against IUPUI Monday Night as the Panthers used 11 players in that matchup with the Jaguars.

Indiana is 3-0 all time against the Eastern Illinois as the Panthers will be making their third trip to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and first since 1994. The Hoosiers won 62-47 on December 23, 1993, and 61-44 on December 2, 1994, and won at Eastern Illinois 90-63 on December 4, 1995.

Liam McNeely Signs with Indiana University Men’s Basketball
Indiana University head men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson has announced the signing of five-star forward Liam McNeeley. The 6-7 small forward is the fourth-highest rated recruit in program history, according to 247Sports. He ranks behind former lottery picks Romeo Langford (14th overall by Boston in 2019) and Noah Vonleh (9th overall by Charlotte in 2014), and current Hoosier freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako.

Liam McNeeley-Forward | 6-7 | 190- Richardson, Texas | Montverde Academy- No. 13 on ESPN | No. 15 on 247Sports | No. 13 on Rivals
Consensus 5-star and top-15 nationally-ranked recruit … led Montverde in scoring at 12.4 points per contest during his junior season … also contributed 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steal per game in 18.4 minutes … made 103-of-207 (49.8%) of his shots from the floor, 52-of-116 (44.8%) from the 3-point line, and 52-of-62 (83.9%) from the free throw line … totaled 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the Florida Rebels in the EYBL circuit during the summer on 37.5% shooting from the 3-point line … averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks per game as a sophomore at John Paul II … won the TAPPS 6A state title in his second high school season … compiled 24 points per game to lead the 2022 Nike EYBL 16U Circuit and was called up to the 17U level … averaged 14.5 points in 15 games playing up with the Drive Nation program … won a gold medal with the 2021 USA Basketball U16 National Team … son of Ashley Elsey and Matthew McNeeley.

Woodson on McNeeley:
“Liam is a very smart basketball player who will bring leadership, skill, and high-level shooting to our ball club. He is a selfless player that will do everything he can to help us win games. His versatility and shooting ability really stood out to our staff throughout the recruiting process. He plays the game the right way, he is a winner, and now he is a Hoosier.”

Sydney Fenn and Faith Wiseman sign with Indiana University Women’s Basketball
Indiana women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren has announced the signing of Faith Wiseman (Martinsville, Ind.) and Sydney Fenn (Buffalo, N.Y.) to letters of intent in the early signing period, which began on Wednesday. “We welcome Faith and Sydney who have officially joined our Hoosier family today,” Moren said. “We knew going into this recruiting cycle that we needed to find a couple of post players with versatility. They both possess unique skill sets and can help us in many ways, both offensively and defensively. They are both tough, competitive players who come from wonderful families. We are excited about their futures here in Bloomington.”

Fenn is a 6-3 forward from AZ Compass Prep, where she averaged 12.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game as a junior. Fenn was named the PA Jam Fest standout player, Prime Event standout player, She Got Game Classic watch list and All Hoop Group first team. Wiseman is a 6-4 forward out of nearby Indian Creek, who averaged 16.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks as a junior in 2022-23. She led the Braves to a Class 3A semi-state championship appearance last season and helped the team finish 27-2 overall. She has earned numerous awards including IBCA Underclass All-State Supreme 15 Team, All Western Indiana Conference, ICGSA 1st Team All-State, a spot on the Indiana Junior All-Stars, Johnson County Co-Player of the Year and All-USA Central Indiana Super Team 2nd Team.

Indiana University Men’s Golf signs Bradley Chill Jr. and Taneesh Sirivolu
Indiana head men’s golf coach Mike Mayer announced the addition of Bradley Chill Jr. and Taneesh Sirivolu on Wednesday.

Bradley Chill Jr. -Columbia Station, Ohio-Saint Ignatius (Cleveland)
Chill, a two-time All-State player in Ohio, competes for head coaches PJ Myers and Kevin Neitzel at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. He has been named all-district in each of his first three seasons at the prep level and was the 2022 Ohio State Championships runner-up. Saint Ignatius has earned back-to-back state championships. The 2022 squad broke the all-time Boys Division 1 team score record by 15 strokes. He has earned top-20 results at the 2023 AJGA at Otter Creek (2nd), 2022 AJGA at Penn State (2nd), 2022 AJGA Memorial Junior (3rd), 2021 AJGA Dana at Sylvania Country Club (3rd), 2023 Dye Junior (5th), 2022 Orlando International Amateur (8th), 2022 Boys PGA Junior at Cog Hill (16th), while winning the 2022 Hudson Junior Invitational. Chill is ranked 94th overall on Junior Golf Scoreboard (50th in his class), 53rd on the Rolex Rankings, and 65th on Golfweek. He is the son of Brad and Yaroslava Chill. Bradley has a younger sister, Kristina, who plays golf at Magnificat High School. He intends to study finance during his time with the Hoosiers. Chill was born on May 31, 2006.

“Bradley is not only one of the top 2024 recruits out of Ohio, but he is also one of the top recruits in the Midwest and one of the best amateur golfers in the country,” Mayer said. “From the first time we saw him play in national junior tournaments we knew we wanted him to become a Hoosier. His game is complete, his resumé is impressive, and his future is incredibly bright. Bradley comes from an outstanding golf family, and he is committed to becoming a great Hoosier collegiate golfer and, after graduation, a great professional golfer.”

Taneesh Sirivolu- Orlando, Fla.- Dr. Phillips High School- A four-year letterwinner for head coach Jerry Updike at Dr. Phillips High School, Sirivolu helped guide the Panthers to the 2023 state title in Florida. He won the regional tournament to help propel Dr. Phillips into the state field. Sirivolu qualified for and played in the 2023 US Junior at Daniel Island Club. He tied for third overall at the 2023 Billy Horschel AJGA, finished fourth at the 2023 Florida Boys Junior, and tied for 12th at the 2023 Bobby Chapman Invitational. He was named the 2023 Leukemia and Lymphoma Orlando Student Visionary of the Year raising over $28,000 for charity. Sirivolu is ranked 127th overall on Junior Golf Scoreboard (73rd in his class), 98th on Golfweek, and 113th on the Rolex Rankings. He is the son of Gopal and Aruna Sirivolu. Taneesh has an older sister, Deepika. He intends to study finance while in Bloomington. Sirivolu was born on March 1, 2006.

“Taneesh has a smile that will light up the room and a game that is as equally impressive,” Mayer said. “He is enthusiastic and positive which goes right along with how he plays the game of golf. He had an outstanding summer of junior and amateur golf, and his resumé includes some top finishes around the country including at last year’s United State Junior Championship at Daniel Island Club. Taneesh’s potential is unlimited, and we are thrilled that he has chosen to become a member of our Hoosier family.”

Bloomington South’s Happy Gilmore signs with Ball State University Men’s Golf  
Ball State men’s golf coach Mike Fleck has announced the signing of widely recognized junior golfer Happy Gilmore. One of Indiana’s top high school golfers the past three seasons, Gilmore opens play at Bloomington South High School this spring with hopes of leading his team to the state finals for a fourth straight season. A three-time all-state player, Gilmore finished seventh in the IHSAA State Finals as a sophomore and eighth as a junior while leading the Panthers to fourth-, sixth- and fourth-place team finishes, respectively.
 
In junior golf competitions over the last year, his highlights include qualifying for the 2023 United States Junior Amateur Championship by shooting 66 at Delaware Country Club in the local qualifier. He finished as runner-up this fall in the Indiana Golf Hoosier Junior Championship (73-70 -143) and most recently finished fourth in an elite international field of players at the Golfweek International Junior Invitational in Orlando, Florida (73-69 – 142).
 
“The excitement and energy around Happy joining our program is evident,” said Ball State golf coach Mike Fleck. “We are not only getting an elite junior player, but we are adding a great young man to the mix. He has positioned himself as one of the best and most recognizable junior golfers in the country, and has a tournament tested resume of success both in Indiana and nationally. Ball State golf is excited to welcome Happy Gilmore to our family!” 
 
Known in the junior golf circles as Happy Gilmore, he was born Landon James Gilmore and the nickname of “Happy” arrived when he won a long drive competition at the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Tournament around the age of 9. A spectator called him “Happy,” and it stuck.

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