HOUSTON – For the first time since 2004, the IU Indianapolis men's soccer team (2-0) begins the season with back-to-back triumphs, sweeping its stop in the Lonestar state this week. The road trip was capped off with a 1-0 win against Houston Christian (0-2) on Sunday (Aug. 25), with
Cameron Radeke registering the lone goal and
Mason Taylor recording his second straight clean sheet.
"I'm obviously very pleased with two wins on the road under these conditions," exclaimed head coach
Sid van Druenen following the victory. "It was high intensity and felt a little bit like a conference game. They were really pushing and challenging us, but we stood our ground. The work rate and commitment of these kids is phenomenal."
The Huskies looked to get on the board early, but Taylor was locked in from the start, coming up big with back-to-back stops in the sixth minute. It was a sign of things to come for the Jaguars' netminder.
The Jaguars took the lead in the 28
th minute on
Cameron Radeke's first career tally. The attack began with a throw in that sprung
Ethan Vermillion into space down the right side of the pitch, where he played an excellent ball to the forward. The junior transfer found the side netting with a perfectly placed finish.
Just a few minutes later, Vermillion again found himself in a dangerous position, this time going at the goal himself. His shot forced Husky goalkeeper Jordan Santa Cruz to make his first save of the contest. On the other end, Taylor added another stop before the break, sending the Jaguars to the locker room with a one-goal advantage despite being outshot, 7-5.
The hosts continued to throw numbers forward while looking for an equalizer in the second half, firing 11 shot attempts, including five on target and one that rattled the post. The grad transfer stood tall in net for the Jags, stopping everything sent his way. His eight saves tie a career high, a mark he hit twice during his time at Ohio Wesleyan.
The defense also did their part in the clean sheet, blocking four shots and putting the Husky attackers in difficult positions. The center back pairing of
Brady Horn and
Giovanni Leon were crucial, playing all 90 minutes while
Liam Zimmerman came off the bench and played 67 minutes. Midfielders
Bali Esquivel and
Gijs Velings also didn't come off the pitch and put in a solid defensive shift.
"We had some phenomenal performances at the back," van Druenen praised. "Guys off the bench did their jobs. Really happy to grind out a win."
The team will now return home and prepare for a battle against Bowling Green on Friday (Aug. 30). The match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
