Ohio State Edged by Indiana in B1G Semifinals – Ohio State Buckeyes

Friday, November 14

College Park, Md.

Ohio State

9-7-4

Indiana - Big Ten Semifinal

12-3-5

Team	1	2	Final F
Indiana	1	1	2
Ohio State	0	1	1

Ohio State Edged by Indiana in B1G Semifinals – Ohio State Buckeyes

11/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Nov. 14, 2014

RELATED INFO

· Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook and Twitter

· Box Score

· Game Highlights

· VOTE for Ivanov – Senior CLASS Award Finalist

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Ohio State men’s soccer team fell short against No. 6 seed Indiana, 2-1, Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2014 Big Ten Tournament in College Park, Md. Despite controlling the pace on both sides of the ball for the majority of the contest, the Hoosiers (12-3-5) earned a late penalty kick in the 86th minute against the No. 2 seed Buckeyes (9-7-4) and converted the eventual gamewinner to advance to the Big Ten championship match Sunday at Ludwig Field.

Although Ohio State’s run in the tournament ended early, the team’s competitiveness and continued resilient effort was shown in full force on national television against the seventh-ranked Hoosiers live on BTN. The Buckeyes outshot Indiana, 20-12, including a 9-5 advantage in shots on target, collecting their second-most total chances in a game this year.

Down 1-0 at halftime, the Buckeyes’ constant pressure finally broke IU in the 69th minute thanks to an athletic run by freshman forward Marcus McCrary. Following the equalizer, the Scarlet and Gray held possession and had multiple looks at goal to take the lead, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The outcome wasn’t what Ohio State wanted, but it’s safe to say the team has rallied together in the last three weeks, going 5-2-1 in their last eight matches. With a latest NCAA RPI in the Top 25, the Buckeyes will now look to secure an at-large bid into the 2014 NCAA Tournament with the bracket set to be unveiled during the NCAA selection show at 1 p.m. ET Monday on NCAA.com.

It was a cold, breezy day in College Park, but very pleasant compared to other parts of the country this week. Tied at 1-1, the Hoosiers earned the penalty kick when the whistle was blown for a handball by the Buckeyes. Sophomore Tanner Thompson converted the goal to give his team the 2-1 lead. A last header chance by senior Yianni Sarris from the far post in the final 30 seconds was stopped by IU keeper Colin Webb, who made seven saves. Senior goalkeeper Alex Ivanov made two saves and falls to 9-7-4.

McCrary, who was recently named to the All-Freshmen Team, tied the contest at 68:04 when he outran the IU backline and fired in a shot into the back left of the net for his third goal of the season. Sarris, a second team All-Big Ten honoree, earned his team-best 15th point with an assist when he headed a pass at midfield to setup McCrary for the long scoring run.

In the 81st, the Scarlet and Gray had a series of shots from close range, but no luck could be found. Senior Max Moller notched two shots on target back-to-back, but was denied following a team save and a stop by Webb. Moments later, Moller made a clutch save in front of net in the 84th using his head to deny a strong shot by the Hoosiers to keep it at 1-1. Sarris led the squad with five shots, including two on target. Moller, McCrary and Christian Soldat added to the stats column with two shots on goal each.

Overall, the OSU defense held strong, limiting Indiana to two shots on goal in the first half, while not allowing a Hoosier attempt in the second half until Ivanov made stop at 66:18.

In the first half, Indiana defender Patrick Doody gave the Hoosiers the 1-0 advantage on the team’s best look when he sent in a free kick attempt over the OSU wall into the top right of the net during the 26th minute of play.

Besides the Hoosier netter at 25:43, the Scarlet and Gray did a solid job defensively against Indiana in the opening stanza to maintain the 1-0 margin. Sarris headed on a shot in the eighth minute, but was saved by Webb. In the 29th minute, first team All-Big Ten selection Liam Doyle sent a free kick from 30-plus yards out just over the crossbar. Bluem then went to his bench to look for an equalizer in the 30th minute with Soldat and McCrary playing the final 15 minutes of the first half. A shot by Soldat was saved in the 42nd minute, followed by a shot off target by Sarris. McCrary’s blazing speed set up a loose ball chance in front of net in the 43rd, but no Buckeyes were in the area to punch in the rebound. The OSU freshman forward then tried a bicycle kick attempt from nine yards out, but his courageous attempt went over the bar. At half, shots were 9-5 in favor of the Scarlet and Gray, while Indiana had a 2-1 lead in corners.

NOTES ON THE BUCKEYES:
· Finished tied for second in the conference standings with a 5-3 mark and earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament following a goal differential tiebreaker over Northwestern and Penn State.
· Ohio State claimed six wins and three ties against teams ranked in the NCAA RPI Top 60.
·Tallied back-to-back Top ranked wins for the first time since the 2007 season (Louisville, Michigan State).
· Began the season on a five-match unbeaten streak.