Photo credit: Travis Isaacs
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In the postseason, all bets are off. A team that dominated another one just a couple weeks before turns into a team struggling for control. It happens. It’s what makes the game of college soccer so fun. But it’s frustrating for the players, the coaches and the fans.
Sunday afternoon, the Indiana men’s soccer team hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match. The two teams just met Oct. 29. IU wasted no time taking control, scoring thee goals in the first 30 minutes in an eventual 5-1 win.
This time, Ohio State flipped the script. The Buckeyes took four shots in the first 13 minutes before the Hoosiers even had a shot on target. Spencer Glass recorded the first shot for the Hoosiers in the 31st minute. Eleven minutes later, IU jumped in front when Joshua Penn sent a high ball into the net, beating OSU goalkeeper Parker Siegfried for the 1-0 lead. IU managed to take one more shot before the end of the half.
“I just wanted to keep it on net,” Penn said. “I knew the goalie wouldn’t have a good look at it.”
IU head coach Todd Yeagley said that first goal was a much-needed one. “It was a huge goal. Going into halftime without a goal, we knew Ohio State would come out even stronger. That goal kind of simmered down the game a little bit.”
The story of the first half was not the shots or lack of attempts. It was the fouls. Ohio State committed nine fouls, while earning two yellow cards. IU committed five fouls in the same stretch, with one yellow. It was obvious that it was a physical match. IU, the Big Ten regular-season champion, was pushing to make it to the semifinals. Ohio State was too, only without a win their season was most likely over.
“They’re a gritty team,” Glass said. “At this point in the season, every team is going to battle like it’s their last game. In a game like that, we’re up and we don’t want something silly to happen. There were little reminders all game that yeah it’s an intense moment — but it’s not worth it.”
In the second half, the physicality continued. Just 26 seconds in OSU’s Devyn Etling received a yellow card. And in the 51st minute, Etling threw an elbow and was shown red. Down a man and a goal, Ohio State didn’t give up without a fight. But a young Hoosier squad kept itself composed, staying focused on the prize.
In the 85th minute, Glass made a run toward goal. Glass sent the ball to A.J. Palazzolo, who slotted into the lower right corner of the net for a 2-0 lead. The Hoosiers held on for the 2-0 win.
“We were a little slow in the first half,” Glass said. “The second half we found our rhythm. We were able to hold things down and come out with a shutout.”
Yeagley said he was proud of the team’s performance. “We knew today would be very tight,” Yeagley said. “The game was very physical from the start. Our guys handled it well. We tried to keep them cool and composed. Our guys stepped up in key moments.”
IF ANYONE KNOWS IU SOCCER…
Ohio State head coach Brian Maisonneuve is no stranger to the Hoosier way of play. Maisonneuve spent his college years at IU, tallying 44 goals and 22 assists while helping IU earn a 73-15-7 record. He did that alongside Todd Yeagley. In 1994, the duo dominated the national awards. Maisonneuve was named the Hermann Trophy winner, while Yeagley earned the Missouri Athletic Club National Player of the Year award. The duo then played together for the Columbus Crew. When Yeagley was named head coach of the Hoosiers, he recruited Maisonneuve to be his assistant. One of the top assistants in the country, Maisonneuve moved on in 2018, taking over the reigns of Ohio State. It’s fair to say few have better knowledge of the Hoosier way.
UP NEXT…
IU (13-2-3) heads to Maryland for the Big Ten semifinals. The Hoosiers will face the Maryland Terrapins in Friday’s first semifinal (4 p.m. ET). The last time the two clubs met, Maryland handed IU a 3-0 loss. Since that match, IU has dominated opponents, outscoring them 16-2, while posting three shutouts. The time before that, IU lost 2-0 to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament semifinal. So it’s fair to say the Hoosiers will be fired up. And if Sunday’s match was any indication, they’re ready.
Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.
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