Indiana Men’s Soccer Blanks Pittsburgh, 2-0, in College Cup Semifinal

CARY, N.C. ––––––In its 22^nd College Cup appearance, the Indiana Men’s Soccer team will play for a national championship.
 
The No. 13-seeded Hoosiers (14-4-6, 3-1-4 B1G) defeated Pittsburgh (12-5-5, 3-2-3 ACC), 2-0, on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park.
 
Redshirt senior forward Ryan Wittenbrink scored unassisted in the 14^th minute off the rebound from his missed penalty kick to give Indiana an early 1-0 lead.
 
Sophomore forward Tommy Mihalic found the back of the net in the 45^th minute, lacing the ball around a defender and through the keeper on an off-balanced shot from the right side of the goal. The goal was assisted by senior forward Herbert Endeley and put the Hoosiers up 2-0 at the half.
 
The Hoosiers will face No. 3 Syracuse (18-2-4, 5-1-2 ACC) in the College Cup Final on Monday (Dec. 12) at 6:00 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.

NOTABLES

• Indiana will play in the national title match for a 17^th time, extending their own NCAA record for most NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship appearances.

• The Hoosiers will make their second NCAA championship appearance in the past three seasons and their third in the last six seasons.

• IU is the first Division I men’s soccer program to reach 100 victories in NCAA Tournament play.

• The Hoosiers have not allowed a goal through four matches, 360 minutes, in the NCAA Tournament. IU has conceded only five goals in its last nine matches, while allowing multiple goals in just one of those contests.

• Indiana is the first team since Maryland (2018) to make a championship game without conceding a goal throughout the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers are the seventh team all-time to achieve that feat.

• This was Indiana’s eighth win over a ranked opponent this season. Pittsburgh was not a national seed in the NCAA Tournament but ranked No. 10 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer poll.

• Wittenbrink’s goal was the tenth of the season for him and the 18^th of his career. This was the third goal of the postseason for the redshirt senior and his second in the NCAA Tournament. He also scored in the Hoosiers’ NCAA opener vs. Saint Louis.

• The 45^th minute score from Mihalic was his seventh of the season and the 12^th of his career. It was his first goal since the draw at Evansville on Oct. 25.