INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time since 2013, the IU Indianapolis men's soccer team earned a result against crosstown rival Butler, with the contest ending in a scoreless draw Tuesday (Oct. 8) night. Despite being outshot 22-8, the Jaguars and
Declan Finnegan kept the Bulldogs off the score sheet, as the redshirt freshman made a career high 10 saves on the way to his first career clean sheet.
"I'm buzzin'," exclaimed Finnegan following the match. "I'm really proud of our guys and how hard they played tonight against a really tough Butler team. The guys in front of me did a really good job of defending and staying tough."
The first half was controlled by the visitors, with Butler (3-6-3, 0-3 Big East) having 61 percent of the possession and most of it coming in the attacking half. The Bulldogs also fired 14 shots in the opening stanza, with six coming on goal—all turned away by Finnegan, who made some incredible stops. Former Jaguar,
Josemir Gomez, had the best chance for the visitors, firing a shot off the crossbar from inside the box.
IU Indy (4-4-3, 1-2-1 HL), who only managed one shot in the opening 45 minutes, got off to a much better start in the second half.
"The boys weren't happy (at the break) and the second half they played like it," stated head coach
Sid van Druenen. "We kept battling and dealt with their threats really well."
The Jaguars were still outshot in the second stanza (8-7) but were able to push numbers forward and get the ball into dangerous positions. Freshman
Kyle Denn was especially threatening in his second career appearance, playing a career high 55 minutes while leading the side with five shots. Bulldog goalkeeper, Caleb Norris, made all three of his saves in the second half—all coming from Denn—for his first shutout of the year.
Despite being under pressure for much of the contest, the Jaguars' defense stood tall, led by center back pairing
Brady Horn and
Jago Thompson-Roberts who both played the full 90 minutes. Horn made some crucial tackles and blocks inside the box, while Thompson-Roberts was outstanding in the air on the many corner and free kicks awarded to the Bulldogs.
"We like to press high, but we are also comfortable in a low block," added van Druenen. "That can make it look like we are under pressure or weathering the storm, but it's fine because we are still under control. Since we've been doing that, we're not conceding a whole lot of goals, so I'm happy about that."
IU Indy now returns to Horizon League play, traveling to Cleveland State for a Saturday (Oct. 12) night clash.
