BLOOMINGTON  - When do you start thinking about a team from a smaller conference as a legitimate contender for national honors?

Where Kelly Findley’s Butler Bulldogs are concerned, Wednesday night might be a good time.

The #43 Bulldogs scored a late equalizer and then mustered an overtime winner to defeat the #12 Indiana Hoosiers 2-1 on IU's home field. The ever-increasing parity of the men’s college soccer was very evident on the night and the Butler team showed the resilience, work rate and killer instinct needed to win big games.

The Hoosiers appeared headed for a workmanlike 1-0 victory when Butler’s Tyler Pollock scored an opportunistic goal with seven minutes remaining in regulation.

The #12 Hoosiers had maintained a good bit of the possession during the match, but could not build on an early goal from Darren Yeagle despite creating a number of good opportunities. In the end it cost them as Pollock scored a late equalizer and then Connor Burt headed home the winner off a corner kick in the 2nd overtime to give the Bulldogs the win, pushing their season record to 7-1-1.

Butler head coach Kelly Findley, who said the winning goal came via a rehearsed play from the corner, said the team’s work ethic, organization and character made the difference on the evening.

“We know the history of the Indiana program. It’s tough to come here and play  We looked frazzled at the beginning but I thought the guys managed going one goal down pretty well,” Findley said. “We built strength as the game went on. Full credit goes to the boys for stepping up and doing the little things that make a difference. That’s how you beat big programs like Indiana.”

Midfield standout Boris Gatzky said the team knew it needed to rebound after surrendering the early strike.

“The first half really didn’t go well. We didn’t show up like we wanted to. I think we were a little bit afraid to knock the ball around like we are used to doing,” he said. “In the 2nd half we changed our formation and started to play like we are used to doing and we were relieved when we finally got the goal. In overtime we just battled hard. Our coach told us when we got a chance we would finish it and that’s what we did.”

Indiana got off to a dream start just over three minutes into the contest when Darren Yeagle powered home a header from inside the area after some good work on the right and a cross by Will Bruin.

A rasping shot from Kevin Bick led to a near miss for the Hoosiers 15 minutes into the contest. Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler couldn’t handle the drive and Bruin crashed the goal to create a chance, but his subsequent backheel resulted only in a goal kick for the Bulldogs. A bit later Bruin saw his header of an Alexander corner flash just wide of goal as the Hoosiers were carrying the play for the half.

Alexander struck a drive very well from 30 yards at the 30 minute mark that went just wide, Butler struggled to get back into the match as the half wore on and while not generating any quality chances of their, managed to keep the Hoosiers at bay for the rest of the 45 minutes.

In the 2nd half, Butler started brightly and a header from Jared Isenthal nearly equalized in the 47th minute, but went just over Luis Soffner’s crossbar.

Boris Gatzky blazed a free kick over from 25 yards a few minutes later.

IUs Alec Purdie was involved in a pair of chances in the 60th minute. Yeagle played him through on the left and the forward fired a drive that was saved. Then moments later Purdie won a ball in the center circle and played Bruin through, but the big forward drove the ball just wide. Yeagle then played Bruin through and after the big forward rounded the keeper it looked like 2-0, but Butler’s Matt Hedges made a sliding save with his legs to keep the margin at one goal.

When it seemed likely that the Hoosiers would ride out the match, their inability to score a 2nd goal came back to haunt them, as a ball was allowed to bounce in the penalty area and Butler forward Tyler Pollock reached it first before lashing home a volley to level the score at 1-1 with 7:17 remaining.

The Hoosiers began attacking frenetically. Purdie put in some good work on the edge of the box and fired a shot that was deflected wide. Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler made a sprawling grab of an Ofori Sarkodie cross to snuff out another IU attack with two minutes remaining. Isenthal made a clearing header to intercept a similarly dangerous cross from Daniel Kelly in the closing seconds and the match went into overtime.

In the first overtime, Kelly stole the ball and ran at goal for IU, drawing a free kick from 30 yards out, Kelly took the set piece and curled a ball in, but the Bulldogs appeared to get away with a push in the area and the threat was averted. On the other end Butler’s Michael Clayton came streaking in from the left and fired a shot just wide of the far post.

Bruin and Yeagle then linked well to set up Purdie for a 1v1 scoring chance, but Knopfler came up with the big save for Butler and the match went to the 2nd overtime period.

Just 3 1/2 minutes into the 2nd OT stanza, Butler’s Gatzky sent a bullet corner across the middle where it was met by Burt for a goal-scoring header and a famous Bulldogs’ win.

Findley said the win was important for the program and the players, but added that the team would need to refocus after Wednesday night to prepare for the rest of the daunting Horizon League campaign.
 
LINEUPS
 
Butler
GK Fabian Knopfler
D Brett Heinz, Jared Isenthal, Matthew Hedges, Ben Kissick
M Kyle Vondenbenken, Boris Gatzky, Ben Sippola, Connor Burt,
F Julian Cardona, Jacob Capito
Subs Troy Blewitt, Michael Clayton, Tyler Pollock, Matt Sall
 
Indiana
GK Luis Soffner
D Ofori Sarkodie, Tommy Meyer, Matt Wiet, Rich Balchan
M Kevin Bick, Caleb Konstanski, Eric Alexander, Daniel Kelly
F Will Bruin, Darren Yeagle
Subs Alec Purdie, Lee Hagedorn