No. 2 IU extended its unbeaten streak in Big Ten play after it defeated Ohio State 1-0 on the road. The win clinched the Big Ten regular season title for the Hoosiers, who still have one game remaining on the schedule.
Indiana grabbed the win against former IU standout and assistant coach Brian Maisonneuve, who is in his first season as the Ohio State head coach. The Buckeyes came into the matchup with no Big Ten wins up to this point and will now have one last effort for the lone victory against Wisconsin.
It was a pretty dominant performance for the Hoosiers, who controlled the match for the majority of the 90 minutes. The Buckeyes struggled to create many chances, and as a result, couldn’t nab a goal on IU goalkeeper Trey Muse.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s match.
One Down, Two to Go
The win secured the Big Ten regular season title for the Hoosiers, who failed to do the same last season even after going unbeaten in conference play. This season, Indiana was able to secure the title with one game remaining in the 2018 regular season, and it will also mean the Hoosiers will be the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
FINAL | No. 2 Indiana 1, Ohio State 0.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS!#Q49 #GoIU ⚪️? pic.twitter.com/t0ICbvTtGB
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) October 25, 2018
This was one of three goals of the season, which were established early on in the season. Multiple players have expressed the desire to secure both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles along with the National Championship. With the win, the Hoosiers can cross out the first goal they set out to complete.
A Win Against a Familiar Face
This was the first time the Hoosiers have played former IU Assistant Coach Brian Maisonneuve, who is in his first season as the Buckeye Head Coach. Maisonneuve had been a coach on the Yeagley staff since 2010, and had five years of assistant coaching under his belt before departing to Ohio State. The majority of IU’s roster this season had been coached by Maisonneuve in the past.
Ohio State has still only won one game in 2018, and the Buckeyes are winless in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers showed why they are at the top of the conference, and it also showed why OSU is at the bottom. Ohio State struggled for the majority of the match against the Hoosiers’ high press.
Gutman Does It Again
Senior defender Andrew Gutman once again proved why he’s rated as the No. 2 player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. Gutman scored the lone goal in IU’s road victory after sophomore midfielder Spencer Glass shipped a cross into the box. Gutman met the ball with his head, and the goal would be good enough for the Hoosier victory.
WATCH ➡️ Make that 9️⃣ goals for Andrew Gutman.#Q49 #GoIU ⚪️? pic.twitter.com/zKBETWY8H5
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) October 24, 2018
Gutman now has nine goals on the season for the Hoosiers, and he currently lead the team in goals scored in 2018.
