Hoosiers fall to Terrapins in College Cup semifinals
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In the College Cup, all bets are off. The last four teams standing take the pitch, hoping for the best result. The slate is wiped clean. It’s anyone’s game. This year’s College Cup was no exception.
Indiana and Maryland knew each other all too well. The Big Ten foes faced each other twice this season prior. And both times, Indiana came out on top. In the third meeting of the season in the College Cup semifinals, Maryland found a way to win, earning a 2-0 win.
“It’s tough to score,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said. “It’s the hardest thing in our sport to do. As the game unfolds you get a little more anxious to make a play. Maryland bent a lot tonight, but they didn’t break. That’s the mark of a good team.”
Maryland pushed hard in the first half and it paid off as Matt Di Rosa found the back of the net in the 37th minute. Eli Crognale sent a corner kick near goal. Di Rosa sent it past IU goalkeeper Trey Muse for a 1-0 lead. Maryland held its composure as Indiana became dangerous on set plays.
The Hoosiers kept the pressure going into the second half, controlling the ball from the 60-minute mark on. But in soccer all it takes is one chance. Maryland took advantage of one of their four chances in the second half when Donovan Pines scored in the 79th minute for the 2-0 lead. Crognale again assisted the goal, sending a free kick toward target. Pines effortlessly slotted it into the net.
“We’ve been down a goal before,” IU defender Andrew Gutman said. “When they scored, no one panicked really. We did create chances. We just couldn’t put them away.”
Despite throwing everything they had at Maryland, the Terrapins stood strong in the box, blocking every attempt. Indiana took 15 shots in the match, including 11 in the second half alone. Maryland goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair tallied just one save in the second half. Maryland’s defense, including every player that stood strong in the back, had an answer for every one of IU’s attempts.
“We created a lot of good chances,” Gutman said. “The ball just didn’t bounce our way. At the end of the day they made a lot of clean clearances and clean interceptions at that critical moment.”
IU midfielder Austin Panchot agreed. “We truly feel that every single game if we do our job we can get the job done. We gave it our all. There are no regrets. Today just wasn’t our day.”
Maryland (12-6-4) will face Akron Sunday at 5:00 p.m. PT in the College Cup championship. Akron dominated Michigan State in the first match of the night with a 5-1 win. Indiana (20-3-1) ended the 2018 campaign two wins short of its ninth national championship.
Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.
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