The foundations of the greatest college soccer program in the country were born in the midwest. When Jerry Yeagley created a varsity program at Indiana University, he dominated the country with a crop of players from the surrounding region, creating a tradition that would last decades.
Defense would be the staple of his teams: his victories wouldn’t be through swash-buckling attacking play, but through gritty, composed, shutouts.
Family would become the next tradition, when his son, Todd, went on to become an All-American midfielder and later head coach of the program his father created.
Over 40 years after the program’s inception in 1973, Indiana still holds those traditions sacred. A mid-west golf course would become a pipeline for the backbone of the modern Indiana Hoosiers men’s soccer team.
Joey Maher and Daniel Munie describe the proximity of their families’ homes in Caseyville, Illinois.
In 2018, Indiana added Daniel Munie and Jack Maher. The two center-backs would embark on very different college journeys. Maher, a 4-star recruit, would walk in and start as a freshman. After his sophomore year, he would be drafted No. 2 in the MLS Super-draft to Nashville Soccer Club.
Daniel would redshirt as a freshman, and bide his time to become a starter until well into his sophomore year.
Daniel Munie describes his recruitment process from high school into Indiana University.
He partnered Jack in the defense, as Indiana won a Big Ten regular season and tournament double in 2019. When college soccer returned in the spring of 2021, a Maher still partnered him in the defense. The only difference was the first name.
As a freshman, Joey started, with the matches in front of empty stands. Joey could lean on the experience of his older brother, the freshman starter, and Daniel, the redshirt, to become an amalgamation of the two in the heart of Indiana’s defense. Following in the footsteps of his brother would always prove a tough task, but Joey views it through a positive lens.
Joey Maher talks about the role his older brother Jack plays in his development at Indiana.
“Polar opposites.”
That’s the way Joey describes the duo of himself and Daniel as center-backs for Indiana. The raw athleticism and bravery of Munie is contrasted with the cautious and composed Maher, making a duo capable of leading the nation in shutouts in 2020, and finishing second in 2021, with Maher and Munie starting every game they were eligible.
They keep themselves sharp by pushing one another, often not on the soccer pitch.
Joey Maher and Daniel Munie speak about their competitiveness of the soccer field.
Ultimately, the 2021 season fell short of their expectations. From Todd Yeagley on down, everyone at Indiana spoke of a desire to win the Big Ten regular season and tournament for a fourth consecutive year, before returning to the National Championship game, where they lost 1-0 to Marshall in the spring.
Losing 2-0 to Maryland in the final regular season match, 3-0 to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament final, and 3-2 to Washington in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 meant Indiana fell short of all three. The quest for a ninth star continues into 2022, making it the longest national title drought in program history.
Indiana’s chances of completing it will rely on Munie and Maher, who will likely return for a third year partnering at the heart of IU’s defense.
“Very hungry to get that ninth star,” Munie said. “We have a chip to prove people wrong, that we can get back there again.”
