Senior midfielder Jack Wagoner stepped up to the penalty box with four seconds left on the clock. The crowd roared as his teammates watched in anticipation behind the box of the ever-building moment.
Wagoner, a senior seeking his first-career goal and a signature moment in Indiana’s win over UCLA, drilled the penalty-kick past the diving Bruins’ freshman goalkeeper Ryan Tiltack.
Mobbed by his teammates in celebration, Wagoner had put the finishing touches on Indiana’s 4-2 victory over UCLA on Friday night at Bill Armstrong Stadum.
But for a match that ended up being close on the scoreboard, the first 20 minutes was a dominating performance for Indiana — where the Hoosiers controlled all facets of the match. Indiana had nine shots to UCLA’s zero, along with four shots on goal and three goals in that span.
The match got off to a quick start on a goal from senior forward Palmer Ault in the fifth minute.
As Indiana pushed into the box, junior defender Alex Barger found the open Ault who had created space in front of the net and put the ball into the back of the net with his non-dominant left.
Coming off a week where he won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award, along with a mention in the Top-Drawer Soccer Team of the Week, Ault netted his eighth goal of the season Friday.
To continue the dominant period, junior forward Clay Murador tallied his first-career goal in the 16th minute. Murador struck the ball from outside the box, soaring over the helpless Tiltack in the goal.
Indiana added onto its controlling first half with another goal in the 19th minute.
Murador continued to press the issue, receiving a corner from graduate defender Ben Do in the box. Murador, who was in front of the net, turned and fired, but Tiltack punched the ball out.
Sophomore forward Easton Bogard sprung on the opportunity and raced to the loose ball in between Murador and Tiltack. Bogard picked up the ball with his right foot and then rolled the ball past the UCLA goalkeeper, giving Indiana a controlling 3-0 lead.
And although the Hoosiers seemed to be firmly in control, a couple of mistakes led to the Bruins climbing their way back into the match.
It all started on a run from UCLA senior midfielder Tarun Karumanchi in the 26th minute. The midfielder spotted his teammate and redshirt sophomore forward Sergi Solans Ormo, who kicked the ball between Indiana graduate student goalkeeper Holden Brown’s legs. The ball trickled into the net to cut Indiana’s lead to 3-1.
Despite giving up the goal, Indiana closed the first half in control. After the first 45 minutes, the Hoosiers still led 3-1.
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley acknowledged the first half was one of the best halves of soccer the group had played this season.
“The guys had a pop tonight,” Yeagley said postgame. “The first half was a good response to a tough loss, and a tough game on Tuesday. I thought it was one of the better 45 minutes of football we’ve played this season.”
Nonetheless, after the one-sided first half, the Bruins kept fighting.
UCLA pulled even closer in the 53rd minute of play. Redshirt junior midfielder Sebastian Rincon received a pass before dribbling past the outstretched leg of Indiana sophomore defender Josh Maher before he kicked a ball that fooled Brown.
Brown dove to his left, but the kick from Rincon was to the right side of the net, where the ball firmly sat in the back, trimming the Indiana lead to only a goal.
While UCLA continued to apply pressure in the final 35 minutes, Indiana’s defense held strong.
Barger and senior midfielder Cristiano Bruletti made a couple of decisive tackles and deflections that held the Bruins scoreless after their goal in the 53rd minute. Notably, Bruletti made a crucial deflection on a shot from UCLA freshman midfielder Adrian Aguilar in the 86th minute that led to a corner, which was cleared by the Hoosiers.
Yeagley understood the impact Barger and Bruletti had on the match but credited the entire backline for the hard work they displayed down the stretch.
“I thought the whole backline had a good game today,” Yeagley said. “The backline handled Solans Ormo — he’s one of the best strikers in the country... they have some other weapons, too. UCLA is going to be a handful for every team; that’s why I felt good about tonight.”
Ultimately, the Hoosiers bounced back from a letdown 1-0 loss at Michigan State with a hard-fought victory Friday night.
In its victory, Indiana displayed brand-new black jerseys that were unveiled pregame. Yeagley joked after the match the jerseys “inspired” the group and helped lead them to the victory.
“The jerseys inspired them (our group),” Yeagley said. “It was our first time wearing black; it was important to get a victory in them.”
In the postgame interview, Ault was mobbed by his teammates, who poured bottles of water on him. For Ault, it was a testament to the Hoosiers’ tight-knit locker room.
“This team is really close, and you can see it on a daily basis,” Ault said. “You’ve got guys from all different backgrounds, but we have the same goal in mind... that goal is to win the National Championship along with Big Ten titles. The chemistry within this group is fantastic – moments like that are what makes it special playing here.”
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer and matfuent@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men's soccer season.
