It was nothing new for No. 5 Indiana men’s soccer.
Conceding the first goal of the game was a trend the Hoosiers faced through their first two games of the season, including consecutive two-goal deficits. But in each contest, they rebounded, securing a draw with then-No. 9 Clemson University and victories over the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
The next four matches featured opening goals from Indiana, halting the trend from the previous three matches.
So, when Penn State netted the first goal of the match within eight minutes into the game, frustration was evident. Redshirt junior defender Breckin Minzey lay face down on the field with his face in the grass. Graduate student goalkeeper Holden Brown looked up to the sky and to the middle of the pitch with a blank expression across his face.
But Indiana’s play following the goal was anything but frustrating. It was inspired.
The equalizer came from sophomore defender Josh Maher, only six minutes and 12 seconds after he had picked the ball out of his own net. Three more goals in the second half, all from senior forward Palmer Ault, secured the 4-1 win Friday night at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Maher has been a key cog in the Hoosiers’ backline since starting the second game of the season in 2024 against the University of Notre Dame. That same contest included his first collegiate assist, and he would go on to contribute two more in his freshman campaign.
The goal never came — until Friday night.
Indiana’s delivery into the box from corners had yet to result in a goal this season, but Maher’s 6-foot-3 frame changed that. With no defenders challenging for the ball, he placed his header perfectly in the corner for the equalizer and his first career collegiate goal.
The rest of the first half was a dog fight. Penn State, despite finishing last in the Big Ten a season ago, created a couple of chances that Maher and company had to stifle.
On the flip side, Indiana failed to penetrate the Nittany Lions’ low block, and the match stayed level entering halftime.
The second half was anything but close.
Ault’s three goals earned Indiana’s first three points of the 2025 Big Ten regular season. The Hoosiers outshot the Nittany Lions 18-10 in the second half, a figure far more dominant than the stat suggests thanks to Maher and the defensive line.
Brown wasn’t troubled much after the Penn State goal, making three routine saves in the second half. Minzey cut out dribbles and attacks on his own. Maher stayed composed and confident for a Hoosier squad attempting to break down the Nittany Lions’ defensive shape.
Indiana’s response to its first loss of the season was pivotal to determine what caliber of team they were. A drop in the United Soccer Coaches poll from No. 1 to No. 5 further enhanced the feeling of defeat after the loss to No. 8 Michigan, and for some teams, it could have been motivation for the match Friday night.
Head coach Todd Yeagley said Wednesday that it wasn’t. The match was set to be like any other in the Big Ten against a formidable opponent, and a Hoosier win would require two things: a “decisive” approach when their moments arrived and improved restarts.
Ault’s three goals were decisive. Maher’s finish from the corner reflected an improvement with restarts.
In the end, it was a dominant team victory with only the one blemish. And for a side aiming for a third-straight Big Ten regular season title and a ninth star, it further displayed Indiana's championship-caliber mentality.
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.
