As the temperature decreases in October, the weight of each match is only increasing for Indiana men’s soccer, as the Hoosiers battled the Buckeyes of Ohio State Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Both schools entered the match in the bottom half of the conference standings after being projected to finish in the top half. A win for both was paramount; a draw wouldn’t have done either side any favors. However, it seemed that a draw was in the cards with the match tied at one with 10 minutes left to play.
“We had to get three points today,” head coach Todd Yeagley said.
The Hoosiers were able to grab that game-winning goal in the final minutes to win their third straight and earn all three points. Karsen Henderlong scored his third goal of the month but this one was his first game-winner.
When asked what he attributes to his recent form, Henderlong responded with one word.
“Confidence. You know, sometimes all you got to do is see the first one go in.”
After scoring against Kentucky to open his account, Henderlong feels it’s as simple as confidence as to why he’s been so successful as of late for an Indiana offense that was starving for a consistent goal-scorer like him.
It was by no means Indiana’s cleanest performance of the year, but it was enough to get the job done. Indiana scored not once but twice off of set pieces/restarts in the match, the first time all season that the Hoosiers had accomplished such a feat.
“Obviously we weren't as sharp as we have been…and we win with two resorts,” Yeagley said. “That's that's a good sign because you got to be able to win those types of games too.”
The Hoosiers went ahead in the first half for just the second time at home this season and it came from an unlikely source. After Sam Sarver earned a penalty for the second time in three matches, it was Joey Maher who stepped up to take the spot-kick.
That may have come as a surprise to some considering Henderlong and Tommy Mihalic were both on the pitch, but Yeagley has confidence in his co-captain.
“You sometimes put things on your captain, you say alright, this is your team,” Yeagley said. “I knew that his focus and his detail would be as heightened as anyone.”
It was Maher’s first this season and his fifth in his career. The last goal he scored was also in a 2-1 win just under a year ago against Maryland in the Big Ten semifinals.
While it was 350 days between goals, Maher had some time to think about where he would place his penalty after the officials went over to the pitchside monitor to review the call.
“I just tried to stay at the task at hand, honestly just trying to be laser focus as much as I possibly can,” Maher said.
Maher made no mistake, slotting it into the corner to give Indiana a lead a quarter of an hour in that they took into halftime.
Ohio State would score 20 minutes into the second half after forcing a turnover in Indiana’s half leading to a goal that deflected off of Maher.
“It’s a game of momentum,” Maher said. The senior mentioned that Indiana was trying to weather the Ohio State storm they witnessed in the second half and was confident that if they held the Buckeyes to just one goal they would have enough momentum to win it on the other end of the pitch.
Spoiler alert: Indiana did just that. An 82nd minute winner from Henderlong was the result of a throw-in, enough to give the Hoosiers their second conference win, bumping them up to eight points.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Indiana on the cool fall afternoon, who are now two points off the top of the conference standings.
The Hoosiers saw Hugo Bacharach and Clay Murador leave wih varying injuries. Bacharach injured his right shoulder twice and exited after the second incident, while Murador suffered a lower body injury and was carted off the field. Both returned to the bench to start the second half but were seen with a sling and a bag of ice, respectively.
“All indications (Hugo) will be ready for Friday,” Yeagley said. “He's had that (injury) in the past so I think he’ll be fine.”
Yeagley and co. understand that the Hoosiers are in a really good spot to get hot again at the right time and have that momentum carry them deep into the postseason, especially after beating a defensive-minded Ohio State team in a physical home tilt.
Indiana will hit the road again for a road matchup with Maryland on Friday in a match every soccer fan has circled on their calendar. Although the Terps are at the bottom of the standings, the Hoosiers need every win they can get to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume.
