Hoosiers end season on sour note with loss to UC Santa Barbara

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Sometimes you can do everything right. And in one moment, one finish, your season comes to an end. For the Indiana Hoosiers, that moment happened in the 102nd minute when Will Baynham broke through the Hoosiers defense, shot and buried his attempt into the back of the net for the 1-0 UC Santa Barbara win.

“Congratulations to UCSB. They’re a good team,” IU head coach Todd Yeagley said. “They came here and played hard. They came in with a lot of passion, a lot of fight. As the game went on we felt really in control. A slip and a great finish by them was the difference tonight. Our players felt they had so much more in them.”

A young team with just one returning starter defied the odds and turned the heads of critics this season. They didn’t expect IU to accomplish much. Yet this young squad won the Big Ten regular season and the Big Ten Tournament, while earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They outscored opponents 40 to 16. Freshmen led the offense and secured the goal. It was a young team that earned respect with every match played.

“This is just a start for this team,” IU defender Jack Maher said. “Indiana is a special place, a special program. We have coaches, players who understand what it takes to win. It hurts. It’s going to hurt from here on out. But we’re going to grow from it. I can guarantee you that.”

Sunday’s match was an example of a tough Hoosier squad that wasn’t ready for the season to end.

“I just told them I was proud of them,” Yeagley said. “What they did to represent this program this season with so many new faces was incredible. We’ve come a long way. Our maturity of our young players, they’re all like two years older than they were when they came here.”

A physical battle from the first whistle resulted in an early yellow card for UCSB. In the 10th minute, UCSB’s Noah Billingsley sent IU’s Joris Ahlinvi to the pitch. The referee pulled Billingsley aside. Three minutes later, Derek Kryzda tackled a Hoosier from behind and earned the first yellow card of the match.

Later, Thomas Warr streaked up the left side of the pitch. The ball soared over to him, but rolled a little too far forward. Warr stopped it and kept it in play, but a Gaucho stole the ball. UCSB took control and raced down the field. Baynham sent the ball on target. IU goalkeeper Roman Celetano grabbed it for the save. 

With less than a minute remaining in the half, Thibault Candia bended a corner kick into the box and Hunter Ashford headed it to the left of the goal.

In the second half, both teams picked up the offense. With the wind at their backs, the Hoosiers pushed hard.

Victor Bezerra ran toward goal in the 66th minute. He lost the ball, but Josh Penn stole it back, running toward the left corner. UCSB sent it out for an IU corner kick.

Ashworth sent a Hoosier to the ground in the 69th minute with the ball nowhere in the area. The referee quickly showed him yellow. Morris stepped up to take the free kick. Roach jumped up and grabbed the ball in midair.

A Herbert Endeley run in the 73rd minute led to an IU corner kick. Morris bended the ball into the box and Roach blocked it with a hand, but a squabble in the box nearly led to a Hoosiers goal. No player could quite take control as it was eventually cleared.

IU’s A.J. Palozzolo streaked toward goal in the 80th minute, shooting the ball wide left of the goal.

The Hoosiers continued to push forward for the remainder of regulation and in overtime. Every time a Gaucho took possession of the ball, he was quickly surrounded by a sea of Hoosiers. IU had an answer for every attempt.

The Hoosiers outshot the Gauchos 12-6 on the day. But one shot made all the difference. In the 102nd minute, IU defender Jordan Kleyn slipped. Baynham took advantage, challenging IU goalkeeper Roman Celetano one on one. Baynham’s attempt landed in the upper right corner. And the Hoosiers collapsed on the pitch, as they saw their season end. Unfortunately for Kleyn, it’s a moment that will undoubtedly haunt him.

“One slip cannot define a full performance,” Maher said. “We had the utmost confidence in him. He had a great performance for 110 minutes.”

Yeagley agreed. “That moment is not what defines him or the season,” he said. “He played a fantastic game all day. Give Santa Barbara credit, there was a lot of great finishing from them.”

UCSB moves on to face the winner of Wake Forest–Michigan in the quarterfinal round. The Hoosiers hang it up for 2019 with a 15-3-4 record.

“There’s nothing you can say to the players now,” Spencer Glass said. “Every player grieves in their own way. You’re going to take it in on your own. We lost in the round of 16 my freshman year and then went to two College Cups. These things happen sometimes.”

And luckily for the Hoosiers… the majority of the squad will be back for 2020.

Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.

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