Junior forward Sam Sarver has had a goal involvement in Indiana men’s soccer’s last three matches, and he extended this streak to four games after scoring the winning goal in Indiana’s 2-1 win against Maryland.
The Hoosiers struggled to get going offensively in the first half, as they couldn’t create many chances. They only managed one shot in the first half, marking the lowest amount of shots they’ve had in a half all season. Head coach Todd Yeagley said his team could have done better in the final third of the pitch.
“Just a little sharper in the front half,” Yeagley said on the Big Ten Network broadcast after the first half. “I thought we had some good sustained territory, we just weren’t goal dangerous.”
Indiana’s defense made sure to keep Maryland’s offense quiet as well, only allowing Maryland to get two shots in the first half.
The game opened up in the second half, with both teams getting on the scoresheet. Indiana took the lead when freshman defender Alex Barger headed in his first goal of his collegiate career. The Hoosiers continued to control the match, but the Terps equalized following a deflection in the box that Maryland senior forward Stefan Copetti tapped into the net .The goal set up a tense final 20 minutes during which both teams bombed forward searching for the win.
Indiana took the lead with just seven minutes to play, following Sarver’s strike into the bottom left corner. Sarver found himself on a breakaway after a long ball from senior forward Karsen Henderlong and proceeded to cut past a defender before curling the ball past Maryland sophomore goalkeeper Mikah Seger.
Friday’s match marks the second in a row in which Indiana has scored a game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes to play, also marking Sarver’s fourth consecutive match with a goal involvement.
Sarver started his hot run of form against Penn State, scoring a brace in Indiana’s 2-1 win against the Nittany Lions on Oct. 7. Sarver earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award for the two-goal performance. Sarver went on to get an assist in each of Indiana’s following two matches, including an assist on Henderlong’s game-winning goal against Ohio State on Sunday.
Sarver’s game-winner against Maryland marked his sixth goal of the season, and he currently stands alone as Indiana’s top goal scorer. The goal gives Sarver a team-leading 10 goal involvements this year, as he has also added four assists for the Hoosiers.
Indiana will have a chance to continue its win streak when they travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face off against Northwestern on Oct. 24. The match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Leo Paes (@Leordpaes) and Jovanni Salazar (@jio_duz_it) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
