IUMS vs Penn State - Friday, 11/4/22 @ 7:00 on BTN+

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,164]

Tournament Central

 

 In each of the last two seasons, this matchup has decided the Big Ten Tournament.

On Friday (Nov. 3), No. 4-seeded Indiana men's soccer (8-3-6, 3-1-4 B1G) will begin its Big Ten Tournament run when it hosts Penn State (6-5-4, 3-2-3 B1G) in the opening quarterfinal round.

Like regular season home matches, IU students who show their Crimson Card will receive free entry to the match. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, ages 3-18.

The match will be streamed live on the Big Ten Plus digital platform with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.

SETTING THE SCENE
• Indiana will meet Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight year, this time in the opening quarterfinal round. In each of the last two tournaments, this matchup has come in the championship game with the two teams splitting those meetings.
• IU and PSU met during the regular season on Oct. 14. Indiana earned a resounding win at Bill Armstrong Stadium, as Ryan Wittenbrink's four-point performance led the Hoosiers to a 4-2 victory as well as the program's 800th win all-time.• The Hoosiers are 6-1-3 at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
• Indiana has won a Big Ten record 15 conference tournament championships, its last coming in the 2020-21 season as part of a three-year streak. The Hoosiers have reached the semifinal round in each of the last nine conference tournaments and have further advanced to the final in four straight seasons.

ABOUT THE NITTANY LIONS
• Penn State comes into the match with a 6-5-4 record and a 3-2-3 mark in Big Ten Conference play. Its last result was a 3-2 win at Michigan to close regular season play.
• The Nittany lions are led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Cook, who has compiled a 46-26-12 record at Penn State and a 225-164-61 career record over 25 seasons as a head coach.
• Senior forward Peter Mangione leads the Nittany Lions with eight goals and is closely followed by senior forward Liam Butts, who has seven. Senior midfielder Andrew Privett and graduate midfielder Seth Kuhn have each tallied a team-high four assists.

SERIES HISTORY
• Indiana has had the better of the matchup between two historic programs, leading the all-time series, 36-15-5.
• Including ties decided by penalty kicks, the Hoosiers have won eight of the last nine meetings.
• IU and PSU met earlier this season during conference play, and the Hoosiers earned a resounding 4-2 victory at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Ryan Wittenbrink tallied four points in the match, scoring a goal and adding two assists.
• 2021 featured two important contests between IU and PSU. In the first match, Indiana handed the Nittany Lions one of their two conference losses. Penn State would get revenge in the Big Ten Tournament final with a 3-0 victory to capture the championship double.
• The last two Big Ten Tournament Champions have been decided by this matchup. In the adjusted 2020-21 season, Indiana won its third straight Big Ten double after defeating the Nittany Lions in penalties. Coming into that match, IU had won five straight over PSU.

[Aaron 4,158]

The irony of all ironies is the path the team got by conceding late to the Terps actually gives them a chance to work their way back into the top 16 (If they had won, RPI would be about 26 or 27 instead of 30 and winning three games bumps it to maybe 21 or 22 if Hoosiers won conference). By playing PSU at home (RPI in 50's) than going to Maryland (RPI in top 20), than likely traveling to OSU or Rutgers (RPI's in Top 50) those three wins would likely be enough to move the RPI all the way up to the top 16 or close to it. If IU had held on against UM they would have hosted NW (RPI in the 160's), than OSU or PSU, and than likely either Maryland or Rutgers at home.

This new path with two road games (which bump the RPI up a lot more than home games) and a borderline top 50 team tonight at home gives team a decent chance to move up the 14 spots they need if they win all three games. 

The path to a trophy is much harder now but the reality is if they had won the conference tourney the other way, the NCAA draw was unlikely to change that much. This new bracket is extremely difficult, but actually has a likely reward of a top 16 seed if IU wins all three games. Would it have felt good to win the Big Ten Tourney if it meant playing in the first round? No matter what team is playing in NCAA Tournament,  but with the draw now, Indiana has a chance to get that top 16 seed and move up a lot. Winning the regular season Big Ten Title with that conference tourney draw was not going to be enough to sneak into the top 16. This draw likely is even if it is much more difficult.  

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,164]

GOAL Ryan Wittenbrink

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,164]

Hoosiers hold a 1-0 lead at the break.  We have 7 total shots; 3 SOG and 10 corners.  We've held PSU to a single shot and no corners.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,164]

PSU getting frustrated and have picked up 3 yellow cards in the second half.  Hoosiers still maintain a 1-0 lead with 22 min. remaining.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,164]

Hoosiers did what they needed to do and take a 1-0 win over Penn State.  They held PSU without a SOG and to just 2 corners.

Next Wednesday they'll play the winner of Maryland vs Northwestern

[Hoosierfan1901 5,803]

*Jonah Hill happy gif*

[Aaron 4,158]

Just what IU needed. Off to Maryland Wednesday Night, than to Columbus or Piscataway for championship with a victory. RPI is already up to 25 and if team wins next two games that should be enough to get into top 16. As much as playing the next two rounds at home would have been nice, getting two road wins is the only path to the top 16 and the team has that chance now. Otherwise they will host a first round NCAA game before traveling as an unseeded team.

[LIHoosier 25,014]

14 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

GOAL Ryan Wittenbrink

 

I know its just a student broadcast, but I would've loved to see an alternate shot behind Wittenbrink to see the ball part the seas.

[Aaron 4,158]

8pm on BTN next round against Maryland.