The game was all but over. Twice.
No. 14 Indiana men’s soccer faced two separate two-goal deficits, one with the score 2-0 and the other 3-1.
But both times the Hoosiers responded, first with a goal from sophomore midfielder Charlie Heuer and next with a finish from senior forward Palmer Ault.
An Indiana offensive push continued after each goal. Some shots hit the post; others barely missed the frame.
Ultimately, neither stretch of attacking play was enough for the Hoosiers as they fell 3-2 to No. 4 Maryland on Friday night at Wilcox Field in College Park, Maryland.
With four straight victories under its belt, Indiana faced a tall task against a Maryland side that had not conceded a goal in four consecutive games before Friday. And after entering the half down 1-0 following a mistake from freshman goalkeeper Judewellin Michel, the Hoosiers needed their attack to arrive.
“We’ll claw back into this,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley told the Big Ten Network at halftime. “We have another gear... I thought we could mix up a little bit of our attack, but we’re getting around the edges, getting service — it’s coming.”
The Hoosiers nearly rose to the call just after Yeagley’s prediction finished on the broadcast. A free kick to the back post from junior midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi nearly found defender Nolan Kinsella, but the redshirt freshman just missed the ball and slammed into the post.
Yeagley’s comments came to fruition — but not before Maryland added another to its advantage.
Terrapins sophomore forward Stephane Njike picked up the ball in the final third and spun around Heuer. With space in front of him, Njike picked out senior forward Sadam Masereka, who finished around Michel for Maryland’s second goal of the game.
But only six minutes later, it was Heuer who got Indiana right back into the game. With an effort from long range, he finessed a shot into the bottom right corner.
From there, the onslaught ensued. A once fervent Terrapins crowd suddenly became uneasy and quiet.
And seconds later, Ault almost made the crowd more uncomfortable.
Fedrizzi sprinted to the endline, getting to the ball just before it went out of bounds. His low pass across the box found Ault at the penalty spot, and the ensuing shot seemed poised to enter the back of the net, but the attempt was blocked by Maryland senior defender Lasse Kelp.
The Hoosiers continued the pressure, and once again, they nearly found the equalizer. Kinsella picked up the ball just outside the six-yard box and let rip a rocket. However, his shot slammed off the post, keeping the game 2-1.
Again, Indiana pushed. This time, freshman forward Colton Swan produced the opportunity with a shot from inside the box, but his chance blazed over the crossbar, leaving Swan with his head in his hands.
Maryland failed to capitalize on Indiana’s missed opportunities for some time, until Njike chipped Michel to make the game 3-1. But just as before, Indiana struck back soon after.
Fewer than five minutes after arriving on the field, sophomore forward Michael Nesci picked up the ball on the left side of the pitch and dribbled at the Terrapins. His pass into the box landed at Ault’s feet, and with one touch, he finished off his 15th goal of the season with a left-footed effort.
The pressure mounted again for the final 10 minutes. But unlike before, Indiana couldn’t produce many clear-cut chances.
And as the final whistle blew, the Hoosiers’ hopes for a third-straight Big Ten regular season title were officially crushed.
Yet Indiana’s season is far from over. Two Big Ten regular season matches remain, a road bout with Northwestern on Oct. 31 and a home contest against Rutgers on Nov. 7, and a spot in the four-team Big Ten Tournament is still on the line.
For now, the Hoosiers have a week to regroup and prepare for a final stretch that won’t ultimately make or break their season — but one that will determine whether a future Big Ten Tournament title is still in their reach.
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.
