Senior forward Palmer Ault cuts into the top of the box, hoping to receive the pass from sophomore midfielder Charlie Heuer. Heuer senses the arising opportunity and spots Ault. Heuer squeaks a pass between a couple of Ohio State defenders, perfectly finding Ault’s foot still at the center of the box.
Ault receives the pass before turning all in one motion and fires a shot in the top left of the net that rifles past Ohio State redshirt senior goalkeeper Max Trejo. Ault runs to the pitch’s far left flagpost before he slides to his knees, as his teammates surround and hug him in celebration.
This was the go-ahead goal for Indiana in the match — the peak moment of the match for the Hoosiers as they were able to battle back from a 2-1 deficit in the second half and ultimately secure a 4-2 victory at home over the Buckeyes on Friday night.
This goal was Ault’s 30th career collegiate goal, an impressive feat for the senior forward.
But before this moment, Ohio State had all the momentum.
Ohio State freshman forward Michael Ndiweni tallied a goal in the 49th minute to put the visitors ahead as Bill Armstrong Stadium fell silent.
Even the Indiana players felt the frustration. Ault slammed the ball to the turf, showcasing the struggles the Hoosiers faced as the Ohio State players celebrated on the other side of the pitch.
A spark was desperately needed for the Hoosiers — one Ault supplied himself. The senior forward turned his frustration into celebration, as he netted an assist and a goal in the second half to uplift the Hoosier faithful and his teammates.
Ault tallied two assists to compliment his goal. The first assist came on sophomore forward Easton Bogard’s goal in the 17th minute while the other occurred on the equalizing goal in the 55th minute by junior defender Alex Barger — the second assist was the burst of energy that Indiana needed desperately.
Ault had a track record of being a supreme goal scorer both at Butler University and now at Bloomington. But on Friday night he turned toward his teammates, focusing more on X and Y.
Even Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley viewed Ault’s performance as one of a leader, pointing out that the forward helped carry the Hoosiers to a much-needed three points.
“He took us on his back in the second half,” Yeagley said. “He took over for the 15-minute stretch where we kind of put the game away. He was around everything that was happening. He gives confidence to our guys; it feels like Palmer is always there to make a play because he draws so much attention to the opposing team.”
Although Indiana was unable to add an insurance goal until the final six seconds, Indiana’s attack — guided by Ault — ultimately took 20 shots on the night.
“If you look at the scoreboard, 20 shots are quite a lot,” Ault said. “If we have a lot of opportunities like we did tonight, we’re going to be able to score some goals. And, fortunately, tonight we were able to come out with three goals and get the victory.”
Indiana managed to pick up a much-needed bounce back victory after a 3-0 loss to Washington on Oct. 3. Now, Indiana heads into a two-game break where they face non-conference opponents – University of Kentucky and Hanover College.
One thing remains consistent heading into that stretch: Ault’s ability to be a difference-maker on the pitch.
“He is a unique threat because he can do so many things in the attacking zone,” Yeagley said. “Palmer has so many elements to his game; he can beat you off the dribble, physically outmatch you and he can even set up his guys... he has a good final idea of what to do.”
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.
