#1 IUMS vs Butler - Tuesday, 8/31/21 @ 8:00

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,943]

 The No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (1-0-0) will open Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium for the first time in the 2021 season against in-state rival Butler (0-0-1) on Tuesday night. First kick is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 31.  

A stream of the match will be available on B1G Network +. 

Live Stats
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• The No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (1-0-0) will open the 2021 home slate against in-state rival Butler (0-0-1) at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
• Indiana began the '21 season with a thrilling 3-2 (OT) victory over Notre Dame on Aug. 27. The Hoosiers trailed the match for 83 minutes before redshirt junior midfielder Ben Yeagley found the golden goal in the 93rd minute of play.
• Freshman midfielder Tommy Mihalic scored both the regulation goals for the Hoosiers, one in each half, including the equalizer in the 87th minute off a rebound penalty kick try.
• The match will be streamed on B1G Network +.
 
NEWS AND NOTES  
• The two-goal effort by Mihalic made it back-to-back seasons with a season-opening brace from a Hoosier. Junior forward Victor Bezerra scored a pair to open the 2020-21 season against Wisconsin at Grand Park on Feb. 19, 2021. Prior to that, the last Hoosier to open the season with a brace was Blake Rodgers in 1991 against Butler.
• The OT win over Notre Dame marked the first IU victory via golden goal since redshirt junior Ryan Wittenbrink walked it off against Michigan on March 27, 2021 and also gave head coach Todd Yeagley 150 victories in his 12 seasons at Indiana. He holds a record of 150-50-40 (.708 winning percentage) at the helm of the Hoosiers.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• The Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh (of 11) in the preseason Big East coaches poll, a league that features two opponents (Marquette, Seton Hall) from Indiana's run to the national title game in the spring of 2021.
• Butler is coached by Paul Snape. The Oakland University graduate has been patrolling the Bulldog sidelines for 11 seasons and has amassed a record of 85-70-29. Butler has earned three trips to the NCAA Tournament under his guidance.
• Junior forward Wilmer Cabrera, Jr. was selected to the preseason All-Big East team after starting all 12 matches played in the spring season. He scored four goals to go along with three assists (11 points) as a sophomore. Redshirt senior defender Rhys Myers was also tabbed an All-Big East preseason selection after anchoring a stout Bulldog defense in the spring of 2021. 
• Senior keeper Gabriel Gjergji has played in 49 career matches for the Bulldogs and holds a record of 19-24-6 with 12 career shutouts. He has allowed 73 total goals over his four seasons as a starter.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Indiana holds a 23-5-4 advantage over Butler in the 32 meetings between the two programs separated by 58 miles.
• The two teams have played to an even record of 2-2-3 in the last seven matchups with a goal differential of 11-9 in favor of the Cream and Crimson.
• Butler stole a 2-1 victory from Indiana the last time the two in-state foes faced on Sept. 24, 2019 in Indianapolis. The home Bulldogs scored two goals in the opening 50 minutes of the match to secure the win.
 
BIG TEN TRIPLE DOUBLE
• For the third-straight season, Indiana claimed both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles during the 2020-21 campaign, the longest streak in the conference since IU captured four-straight league doubles from 1996-99. No other program has achieved the feat in consecutive seasons.
• This marked IU's 11th regular season, tournament double in program history. The rest of the conference has seven combined doubles.
• The Hoosiers have won a conference-leading 17 regular season Big Ten regular season championships and 15 Big Ten Tournament crowns.
• Indiana has won the last six trophies handed out by the Big Ten (3 regular season, 3 tournament).
• Bezerra was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Tournament after scoring all five Hoosier goals in the tourney. Celentano claimed Big Ten Defensive Player of the Tournament after recording two cleansheets (one solo) and making two big saves in the PK shootout. Both, along with Munie, were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,943]

Head coach Todd Yeagley said today that Victor Bezerra and Ryan Wittenbrink are both "day-to-day" as they deal with injuries. Yeagley wasn't committal about either player's availability for tomorrow's home-opener against Butler.

[WayneFleekHoosier 46,730]

#1 IUMS vs Butler.....

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,943]

20 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

#1 IUMS vs Butler.....

Fixed it.

[WayneFleekHoosier 46,730]

25 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Fixed it.

you da man!  Might as well flex while we have the chance.  

[Brass Cannon 24,064]

56 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

you da man!  Might as well flex while we have the chance.  

I’m guessing we stay up there a good bit this year.  I still think we win it all last year as the best team had the weather/field not been crap.  Not a coincidence we lost on a turnover caused by slipping on the field.  A crappy field is the great equalizer.