Eleven draw Butler in 1st exhibition tune-up

WESTFIELD, Ind. — Butler University men’s soccer and the Indy Eleven stretched their legs out Saturday night in a preseason exhibition tune-up at Grand Park. The first match to kick off the season, it drew in a large crowd that left little room in the stands to watch the two teams test their lineups. Although the game ended with an empty nil-nil scoreline, the match left fans with speculations about the upcoming seasons.

THE TEAMS

Butler returns from what was not considered their finest season last year. Their 2018 season ended in an overall 4-12-2 record, a massive change from their Big East-winning 14-5-2 record in 2017. This game saw the return of a lot of players, including team captain Jared Timmer. There are also a good number of freshman on the team. If the young core meshes well with returning upperclassmen like Timmer and forward Brandon Guhl, the Bulldogs might have a rejuvenated squad in 2019.

Indy took the time in Saturday’s match to try out the trialists, starting off the game with five in the mix along with Jordan Farr, Karl Ouimette, Ayoze, Kenney Walker, Eugene Starikov and Ilija Ilic. Two of the trialists that suited up for Indy in the first half appear to be former Butler players Bennett Kim and Kieran Geldenhuys, though the team wouldn’t confirm this information since it’s official club policy not to comment on trialists.

THE MATCH

Indy pushed their momentum going into the first half, starting off strong. Butler took a couple of minutes to warm up, put instantly on the defensive by Indy’s strong offense. Led by forwards Starikov, Ilic and a trialist, they pushed their advantage with quick passes and runs up the side.

Butler managed to recover with a few runs of their own. Butler defender Griffin DeBolt made a run up the side, pressing an attack that was ultimately turned back by Indy. Eleven left back Ayoze showed off his speed and skill with the ball, constantly pushing up with the offense. Indy began faltering in the last part of the half, however, with flow starting to waver between players and trialists. The first half ended with a finish into the Butler net by a trialist, but the effort went unrewarded with the referee disallowing the goal for a foul.

The second half saw Indy with an almost complete change in the lineup, save for Farr and a few trialists. Butler started the second half strong, pushing to get a quick shot off in the first five minutes that was blocked by Farr. Indy’s offense retaliated, advancing up the field only to be blocked by DeBolt knocking the ball out of the goal at the last second.

The rest of the half saw the advantage of Indy’s fresh legs, with the ball repeatedly brought up into the Butler side. Indy’s Dane Kelly, new to the team, led a number of the offensive charges. Although none of the shots on goal made it to the scoreboard, the Jamaican showed promise. Another notable player during the half was Tyler Pasher, a player out most of last season due to a concussion. He showed off his recovery ability, speed and skill with a series of runs and quick passes.

THE RECAP

The Butler team showed promise, with Timmer and his fellow midfield mates staying solid in the middle. Their defense seemed firm against the Indy offense, though they struggled at times against their speed and quick passes. They will have plenty of time to work on things, as their next game isn’t until March 2 against Bradley.

Related: Gallery: Indy Eleven, Butler battle to preseason stalemate

Indy started off strong, though their flow seemed to falter at different moments in the game. This could be partly because of new players, and it being the first game since the offseason.

“Both teams haven’t played in so long, it’s about getting the rust out,” said David Goldsmith, a former player on both teams.

More time is needed to achieve that team cohesion, which will be something to watch for in both teams’ upcoming matches. Indy next plays now-MLS side FC Cincinnati this Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Grand Park.

Follow Claire on Twitter: @ItsASchmidtThng.

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