Indiana men’s soccer earned its first Big Ten win this season with a 2-1 win against No. 19 Penn State.
The Hoosiers had not won a Big Ten matchup before the Saturday afternoon matchup and held a 0-1-2 conference record. Indiana previously sat in eighth place in the conference but moved up to sixth following its win against Penn State.
The scoreless draw saw very few chances for both sides.
Indiana put instant pressure on the opponents as it deployed a high press in Penn State’s half, forcing the Nittany Lions to resort to long passes and allowing the Hoosiers to win the ball back quickly and keep possession.
Indiana’s aggressive approach was rewarded in the 21st minute after junior forward Sam Sarver opened the scoring for the Hoosiers. Senior defender Hugo Bacharach threaded a ball in behind Penn State’s center backs, leaving Sarver face-to-face with Penn State fifth-year goalkeeper Kris Shakes. Sarver dribbled around Shakes and passed the ball into the net.
The Hoosiers continued to dominate possession and chances in the first half and won a penalty in the 34th minute after Sarver was brought down in the box by Shakes. Sarver stepped up to take the penalty himself but was denied by Shakes, who saved the shot with his foot.
Penn State tied the match three minutes later following a long goal kick from Shakes which forced Indiana junior goalkeeper JT Harms to leave his box and attempt to clear the ball. Harms whiffed on the clearance, leaving Penn State senior forward Peter Mangione with an open net to tap the ball into.
Indiana got off to a lively start in the second half when Bacharach and Sarver connected once again to give Indiana the lead. Bacharach played a short pass to Sarver in Penn State’s box and Sarver took a small touch before curling the ball into the top right corner of the net.
Bacharach played in midfield today as opposed to his regular position as a center-back. His ball-playing ability allowed him to fit into the position and even get himself two assists on the day.
The Hoosiers continued to dominate possession following the goal but couldn’t convert the chances they had to extend their one-goal lead. This led to a tense last 10 minutes for Indiana, in which Penn State got close to tying up the score.
Harms made two crucial saves in the last moments of the game, including a finger-tip save that deflected the ball onto the crossbar. Indiana held on to win the match despite Penn State’s late pressure.
The Hoosiers will be back at Bill Armstrong Stadium in their next game when they take on the University of Evansville on Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be streamed on Big Ten+.
