Maryland men’s soccer eliminated from Big Ten tournament by Indiana in penalty kicks

Maryland men’s soccer has been eliminated from the Big Ten tournament. In the semifinal match against No. 1-seed Indiana, the Terps matched the Hoosiers, 1-1, for 110 minutes before losing 4-3 in penalties.

Andrew Gutman gave Indiana in the second half, marking three goals against Maryland in two games this season. Ben Di Rosa was able to score his first career goal just over ten minutes later, but in penalties, the Hoosiers beat goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair four times to advance to the final.

The Hoosiers were the better team for most of the day, easily winning the shots battle by a 22-12 margin. They tied Maryland in shots on goal with five apiece, but in the end, they got enough chances to hang around and win in the shootout.

Indiana showed its talents early on, registering the first three shots of the match and seven of the first eight. With a mix of size and speed, the Hoosiers dominated possession while stifling any Maryland attack. However, they were uncharacteristically inaccurate, forcing St. Clair to make just one save. In the 10th minute, the junior goalkeeper made a diving stop to keep the game scoreless, and that was the only real test he faced.

The Terrapins’ attack was stifled for most of the opening half, only tallying three shots. William James Herve found a lane in the 36th minute, but his strike hit the crossbar and deflected out of play.

Coming out of halftime, Maryland found its footing early on. After not testing goalkeeper Trey Muse at all in the first half, the Terrapins registered consecutive shots on goal in the 55th and 58th minutes to put the sophomore to work. But Muse was up to the task, and he saved both of them with relative ease.

In the 61st minute, Gutman took over for Indiana. The senior defender gained possession near midfield, and he took it upon himself to get to the box. On his run, he weaved through seven defenders before firing a shot past St. Clair. After dominating all day, the Hoosiers had a goal to show for it.

For the ensuing 10 minutes, it seemed as though Gutman’s goal would be his second game-winner of the season against the Terps. But in the 72nd minute, Paul Bin made a short pass to William James Herve at midfield. Herve then put a through ball on a running Di Rosa, and the sophomore defender took it all the way to the goal to beat Muse and tie the game.

Unlike last time, Maryland shut the door to close out regulation. Indiana registered a few shots and corners, but the back line held up strong to give the offense a chance to win it in regulation. That winning goal never game, so the match went to overtime.

Indiana dominated for the full 20 minutes of overtime, nearly walking off multiple times. The Hoosiers were just inches away from winning, as a header in the 103rd minute by Francesco Moore deflected off the goal post and caromed towards the goal line. However, St. Clair snatched it right before it crossed the threshold, sending the match into penalties.

In penalty kicks, Indiana was surgical. After Maryland was stopped twice in a row, Johannes Bergmann tied the score at 3-3, sending the fate of the match into the bottom of the fifth frame. St. Clair guessed right and got a hand on Cory Thomas’ shot, but the ball had enough juice to beat the goalkeeper and give Indiana the victory.

Three things to know

1. Andrew Gutman is beyond ridiculous. For those counting at home, that’s three goals in two games against Maryland. He only scored one on Friday, but the senior defender was all over the field, impacting the match on both the offensive and defensive ends. He tallied five shots on the day, although he only registered one shot on goal (he also hit the crossbar in addition to his goal).

2. Ben Di Rosa was clutch. Neither Ben nor his twin brother Matt had scored in their careers entering Friday, but due to injuries, both have played important roles this season on the back line. But in the 72nd minute, Ben showed his offensive abilities, beating Trey Muse to tie the score late.

3. All the Terps can do now is wait. After falling to Indiana, Maryland’s lot of guaranteed games has run out. Fortunately for the Terrapins, their resume over the course of the 18-match slate is likely strong enough to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. But with the loss, all they can do is wait and hope for a quality seed. The tournament bracket will be revealed Monday.