“It’s just different, it’s strange.”

Todd Yeagley’s words reflected a familiar feeling over the past 12 months.

In a year full of firsts, Yeagley’s team just checked another box.

Last week, Indiana Soccer yet again began its quest for a ninth national title – but not in Bloomington, and not even in another Big Ten town. Cold weather and historic amounts of snow forced IU north to Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, where the Hoosiers played their home opener (as well as their second match) away from home, at the sports complex’s indoor facility.

In the case of this year’s early spring start as a result of the canceled fall season, chilly temperatures were expected. But even then, the venue change is further proof that even while Indiana is again back on the pitch, the obstacles are still being overcome.

“You can’t prepare fully for this scenario, where you’re pulling up and playing a game at a venue you’re not used to,” Yeagley said. “We haven’t played a game in over a year.”

Whether it be that the home opener was Indiana’s first indoor match in years, or the fact that family and fans were permitted to attend IU’s matches, the opening to the 2021 season may look and feel very different from what Indiana will get during the rest of the spring season, once IU can return to Bill Armstrong Stadium.

For the team itself, the changes were clear – all the way down to the playing surface.

“It’s a new surface, and it’s a little difficult I think for both teams,” Yeagley said. “Every turf plays different. I think our guys with some of their initial passes that we were missing…I don’t see those in Mellencamp or when we play at home.”

In the season opener against Wisconsin, it was difficult to tell that the Hoosiers had any trouble picking up right where they left off, nearly 450 days prior. Sophomore Victor Bezerra quickly displayed his offseason improvements, scoring twice in the first half to put Indiana up, 2-0. In the early stages of the second half, senior Thomas Warr added on another, and IU cruised to a 3-0 win.

Meanwhile in Bloomington, the snow has melted away, making Indiana’s next scheduled home match promising, on March 7 versus Penn State. But in the meantime, that hasn’t made the process of adjusting any easier. Despite back-to-back shutout wins, Yeagley acknowledges that his team isn’t anywhere near its “full tilt.”

“Yeah I’m pleased,” Yeagley said. “We could’ve played a lot better and won 1-0 and I might be feeling a lot better. But yeah, it’s a 3-0 win and that’s great and scoring goals is really hard to do in our sport.”

Those adjustments will all come with time, but for now, Indiana is still somehow matching the expectations.

But to go 450 days without a game? For one of the country’s greatest college soccer programs, it’s just water off the back.