- IU continues its spring season at IUPUI on March 23rd.
BLOOMINGTON – What started as a motivational tactic became a rallying cry for Erwin Van Bennekom’s IU women’s soccer team last fall.
As the Hoosiers rack up results and stay on track for the Big Ten's all-time lead, coach Van Bennekom takes every opportunity to remind his players that they were co-selected last in the league in the preseason. Ta. Michigan, Penn State, Purdue, it didn't matter who the opponent was. Whenever another league team joins the schedule, Van Bennekom gives his customary warning.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Van Bennekom told IndyStar in a recent interview. “I used it every week. 'Hey, next team, the coach probably put us last.'
“The team just accepted it. I think they loved it, even telling me, 'The other teams and staff voted for you last.' ”
The result was one of the best campaigns in program history. For Van Bennekom and his staff, it was years of fine-tuning, tactical adjustments and examination of player development, culminating in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years.
“This past year we overcame certain difficulties and were able to win some games that we could have lost,” Van Bennekom said. “I don't want to be like, “Oh, I found a way to win,'' but at the end of the day, if you do it five times in a row, it means a lot to the team. They started feeling it and believing it. .
“The expectations have increased.”
Indiana's success dates back to last season, when the Hoosiers stopped giving up goals while scoring.
The Hoosiers finished 2022 in second-last place in the league, ahead of only Purdue, thanks in large part to the scoring struggle. They finished with just 11 goals in 17 games, the worst in the conference. However, they have found defensive steel that will provide the foundation for Van Bennekom and associate head coach Tim Verchulen to rethink their tactical approach next offseason.
“Tim and I sat down and said: 'This is what we're going to do to keep going the way we do, to score more goals and create more chances,'” Van Bennekom said. Told. “The way we play has really changed dramatically.”
The pace of the backline, coupled with the fact that (eventually) 2023 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year Jamie Gerstenberg was comfortable playing far from his own goal, helped the Hoosiers play with the team last season. was able to develop a high defensive line.
That meant pushing their defense higher up the field, often to the halfway line. The high line created an opportunity for an offside trap. The pace meant the Hoosiers could recover defensively when opponents broke that trap. And Gerstenberg's ability outside the box allowed the Hoosiers to play through the goalie if needed.
“For the first time since I've been here, I feel like we have a goalkeeper who can protect the backline and high up the field, and the Bucs are basically in midfield,” Van Bennekom said. “Given that, we were able to press higher, turn teams over and create more chances from there. Our defensive mentality is more goal-oriented. It helped us decide on the rules.”
As a result, the pitch was effectively cut in half and the opponent was cornered by IU's high press. Rotating from deep between midfielders and attackers, Van Bennekom's team benefited from the tactical switch, as the Hoosiers used their fresh legs to destroy an already pressured opponent. Indiana added 20 goals to its overall score, going from 11 goals to 31 goals.
All the while, its defense remained stingy. The Hoosiers will continue to concede just 16 points in 2023, and their 32 points over the past two seasons are tied with Iowa for the fewest in the Big Ten.
The match we were losing turned into a draw. A draw became a win. The Hoosiers finished 2023 with a record of 6-2 in 10 Big Ten games and a program-record 20 points.
This style was a departure from some of Van Bennekom's early ideas for his playing style, which at times emphasized a more possession-oriented approach and reliance on interconnected passing networks. But the results were indisputable. The Hoosiers' offseason transition has yielded great results.
“Tim and I were looking at the data the other day. We scored about 45 per cent (of our goals) from set pieces. They mainly came from turnovers,” Van Bennekom said. “Or they would score within two or three passes of winning the ball. If you look at any league, whether it's women's soccer or men's soccer, most goals are set pieces or two or three passes and a finish. , and not 25 points.”
With a strong core including Gerstenberg, who will return in 2024, Van Bennekom's ambitions are increasing.
Sharing the Tardy Center, Indiana's soccer facility at Bill Armstrong Stadium, with the men's program gives the Hoosiers perspective, Van Bennekom said. However, with the team fully intact save for one transfer expected this summer, with a few minor injuries and a freshman class already registered, he is hoping training will help the team level up. I saw it happening.
“When it comes to training sessions, when friends come over, the intensity seems to be insane,” Van Bennekom said. “We really have a culture where we take it seriously, like the Big Ten game and the Purdue game, but after the workouts, everything falls into place.
“This is a very good standard, but probably the last time I saw this was when I worked for the NWSL in 2013.”
The Hoosiers will have to find motivation elsewhere this fall. No one will pick them to finish last in the league again.
But, encouraged by last year's success and encouraged by the team's response to it, Van Bennekom is already looking ahead to the team's next evolution. They may have to shake off the underdog label, but the Hoosiers are preparing to make life difficult for anyone who comes in front of them this season.
“That environment, that intensity, that competitiveness is amazing. We'll work harder than any other team,” he said. “When they come here or we go on the road, I want the coaches and the other teams to be like, 'Oh, we have to play Indiana.' That's kind of what it's like.”
Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.