CARSON, Calif. – The season did not end on a controversial call, but the loss was just as bitter.
After two straight trips to the national semifinals ended with questions of why their opponents were rewarded crucial penalty kicks, the Terrapin men’s soccer team could look to nowhere but themselves this time.
The Terps mustered three shots after halftime and none in two overtime periods. As defending champion Indiana kept firing – converting three of its final nine shots on goal – the Terps again had to swallow a bitter defeat, allowing the game-winning goal with 48 seconds left in double overtime for a 3-2 loss.
“Today our goal was try to outchampion a champion,” Terp coach Sasho Cirovski said. “And we fell 48 seconds short.”
The Terps (17-6-2) needed one last defensive stand to force penalty kicks, which the Terps used to defeat Creighton (5-4) in the NCAA third round. But Indiana’s pressure was too much as the clock ticked down.
Indiana midfielder Charley Traylor flipped the ball between two Terp defenders to forward Danny O’Rourke in the near corner, who crossed the ball to the near post.
Terp senior goalkeeper Noah Palmer hesitated to get the ball into the air, and Indiana midfielder John Michael Hayden beat him to the spot for the game-winning header.
Palmer did not hesitate on similar plays in the first half, aggressively controlling crossing passes sent into the box.
“The ball kind of got popped out between two of our guys,” junior defender Kenney Bertz said. “Noah came out for it, and their guy made a heck of a play on it. Noah, there’s really not much he could do.”
“It looked like one of our players was tracking him and slowed down,” Cirovski said. “Noah looked like he was initially going to come, and then he took a split second pause. I almost think he got his foot stuck a little bit because I think his intent was to come. I have to see it closely because it happened so quickly.”
But Palmer – who had eight saves, including one on a shot to the top of the net that he leaped and deflected out as he fell to the back of the net – cannot be blamed for the loss. The Terps, unable to crack Indiana’s three-man midfield defense and get the ball outside, failed to put together any offensive rhythm when they needed it most.
Freshman midfielder Maurice Edu’s header goal off a corner kick with 9 minutes, 22 seconds left in the second half was the Terps’ only shot on goal after halftime.
During the same span, Indiana fired 17 shots, including nine on goal.
“It looked like we got a little fatigued,” Cirovski said. “Indiana’s a very, very hard team to break down. To score two goals against Indiana is no small feat.”
The Terps weaved through Indiana’s defense at the start, firing four shots on goal. Senior forward Abe Thompson controlled a loose ball with more than 10 minutes left in the first half, baiting his defender before beating him left and firing to the net. Junior forward Jason Garey, who nearly scored on a header earlier in the half, flipped the ball past goalkeeper Jay Nolly for a 1-0 lead.
After the break, everything changed.
Indiana kept attacking, firing several shots early. With 42:55 left in the second half, Indiana midfielder Brian Plotkin streaked ahead with just one defender and Palmer to beat. Palmer aggressively slid out to stuff the ball off Plotkin’s foot.
But a Terp foul set up an Indiana free kick minutes later. Plotkin, one of three Hoosiers lined up to take the kick, sent a perfect ball to the bottom left of the net, just past a diving Palmer to tie the game at 1-1.
Indiana scored again at 19:49 left, when forward Mike Ambersley dribbled across the top of the box and turned to fire through the Terp defense for a 2-1 lead.
At that point, the Terps appeared deflated. Palmer called a team huddle, but nothing came of it until Edu broke the drought 10 minutes later with the tying score.
“It looked like he jumped four feet off the ground,” Garey said. “I just knew we had a chance.”
The Terps looked as if they could score again with less than 10 seconds left, as Edu and Garey were in position for a score. But Edu fired high from well outside the box and the game went into overtime.
Nineteen minutes and 12 seconds later, Hayden ended the Terps’ season. It was Indiana’s first come-from-behind victory all season.
Almost collectively, the Terps slumped to the ground.
“It’s just pure emptiness, just pure emptiness. The finality … It’s just pure emptiness and then you have to collect yourself,” Cirovski said. “I can’t hide the fact that I’m gutted. My team is … the loss is difficult. But I’m walking out of here with my head held high, and I’m very proud of our team. I’m very proud of our program.”
Cirovski put the loss into perspective, recalling a previous conversation with former Indiana coach Jerry Yeagley, who took the Hoosiers to six NCAA titles in 16 College Cup appearances.
“He’s lost 10 times in the College Cup. Well, we’ve lost four,” Cirovski said. “And I’m going to be at Maryland a long time. We’re going to come back often. And we’re going to find one of these days when we’ll stand up here with a championship in hand.”
