Another season of Indiana soccer is officially underway, as the No. 11 Hoosiers played in an action-packed match against No. 9 Clemson in front of an incredible crowd at Bill Armstrong Stadium. “Students were amazing. The Bloomington community supports as always, just a great, great night for soccer. I think it was a good showcase […]
Another season of Indiana soccer is officially underway, as the No. 11 Hoosiers played in an action-packed match against No. 9 Clemson in front of an incredible crowd at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
“Students were amazing. The Bloomington community supports as always, just a great, great night for soccer. I think it was a good showcase for college soccer tonight,” head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame.
The match got out to a fast start for Indiana, with chances coming left and right early on, but the Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize and found themselves down 2-0, needing a comeback to avoid a season-opening heartbreak.
Clemson struck first in the 31st minute with an impressive finish from Nathan Richmond from outside the box, while a penalty conceded by goalkeeper Judewellin Michel gave Ransford Gyan the chance to score in the 57th minute.
Throughout the second half, the momentum was firmly in Clemson’s favor and it looked bleak for Indiana. An incredibly impressive crowd was about to go home disappointed, as IU was in danger of spoiling what was an energetic atmosphere in Bloomington.
Indiana was given a blessing, though, when Clemson midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng was sent off after his second yellow card. Everything changed.
“The response was excellent, the red card helped,” Yeagley said.
The momentum the Hoosiers possessed to begin the match was suddenly back and you could feel it around the stadium. The fans were given a reason to get loud, and their team delivered.
No more than four minutes after Clemson began playing with just 10 men, a penalty was awarded to Indiana and Palmer Ault was able to convert with a strike to the left of the goalkeeper. With the match at 2-1 and Clemson playing a man down, Indiana had all the momentum and did a phenomenal job of feeding off the crowd of just under 6,400.
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With the match standing at 2-1 in favor of the Tigers, the fans were anxious. Would their Hoosiers be able to equalize? Well, Evansville transfer and Italy native Jacopo Fedrizzi answered that question with a brilliant goal in the 81st minute.
“It was big time,” Fedrizzi said, and his sensational finish most definitely was.
“It was actually a volley with my right, I’m a lefty, so it was exciting. It was my first goal at Armstrong this season, so I was excited,” he said. “Helping the team gain a tie was a really good sensation.”
It wasn’t just great for him, it was great for all in attendance at Bill Armstrong, as after Fedrizzi leveled the match at two goals apiece, he and the rest of the Hoosiers rushed to the corner of the field to celebrate in a moment of complete jubilation.
The players could feel the fans all game long, and Fedrizzi mentioned that it may have helped Indiana salvage a tie after going down by multiple goals.
“Feeling the fans playing was also amazing. They were cheering for us and it was a crazy atmosphere. It was really good and helped us also gain a tie,” Fedrizzi said.
Like Yeagley mentioned, it truly was a great night for soccer. Although the Hoosiers couldn’t net a game-winner in the final nine minutes of action, drawing against a team like Clemson is the furthest thing from a poor result.
“Clemson’s really good, which we anticipated,” Yeagley told reporters. “So obviously, the draw will be fine.”
Drawing against a top-10 team in the Tigers is certainly fine in itself, but considering that Indiana lost six starters from a Big Ten championship team from a year ago, the Hoosiers were really impressive. Several transfers and freshmen made their IU debuts, and Yeagley mentioned just how tough it can be to make that adjustment.
“Even the players that have had experience, it’s still your first game for us. It’s different. There’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of pressure. They’ve never played in front of this crowd and they want to do so well. So there’s a lot of anxiousness,” he said.
Freshman goalkeeper Judewellin Michel experienced some growing pains, but he put together a solid match for the Hoosiers, as did newcomer Victor Akorum in defense, as well as Palmer Ault in attack.
New faces scored both goals for Indiana in what was a thrilling match. The fans were into it from start to finish, and even though it looked bleak, the students and alumni gave IU the energy it needed after Clemson was forced to play with 10 men.
Even though the Hoosiers didn’t get the win, Yeagley is confident that the more than sold-out crowd was sent home satisfied.
“So if you’re new to soccer, you might be confused (with a tie), but they were entertained, they saw a great comeback. It was great energy in the stadium all night. So they’ll come back, and that’s what we wanted to do. So I think they’ll really enjoy this team and we want them to come back on Sunday,” Yeagley said.
The new-look Hoosiers were on full display, and thanks to a fierce comeback aided by a home-field advantage and a red card, Indiana soccer got out to a fine start to the 2025 season.
Even after key losses from a championship team, Indiana seems to be the same juggernaut Hoosier Nation has come to know and love, with an opportunity for a ninth national championship lying ahead.
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Category: General Sports
