Indiana Soccer Beats Maryland 2-1; Henderlong, Sarver Team Up For Another Game-Winner

In back-to-back games, Indiana has gotten the game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes. Last Sunday, Sam Sarver crossed to Karsen Henderlong, who scored. On Friday night at Maryland, Henderlong crossed to Sarver, who scored the winner in the team's 2-1 victory.

Maryland's Stefan Copetti was almost the villain, again.

But Indiana soccer pulled another late game-winner out of its hat to beat Maryland 2-1 Friday night in College Park, Md. and move up the Big Ten standings.

At halftime on the Big Ten Network broadcast, Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski said the mundane opening 45 minutes was unusual for the Indiana-Maryland classic. At least two goals have been scored in the past four meetings. Three second-half goals Friday night kept that streak afloat.

Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley commented that his team had good sustained territory, but wasn’t being goal-dangerous. That soon changed in the 54th minute. Freshman Alex Barger scored his first-career goal with the Hoosiers, heading the second ball in the six-yard box past Maryland’s keeper. Teammates Patrick McDonald and Jansen Miller were both given assists. McDonald aired the long throw-in into the box, and Miller’s header directed the ball right to the scoring Barger.

In the 70th minute, however, the Terps equalized. Maryland’s Luke Van Heukelum, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, started the breakaway. Later in the play, Maryland’s cross got by two Indiana defenders in the six-yard box, who either missed or decided not to clear the ball. Copetti, the team’s leading scorer this season and last, was lurking at the near post and tapped in his fifth goal.

Indiana goalkeeper JT Harms couldn’t believe it.

In last season’s regular-season finale at Indiana, Copetti’s 87th-minute equalizer past Harms gave Maryland the 2022 Big Ten league title outright, ruining Indiana’s chances to share the trophy. On Friday in College Park, Copetti’s 70th-minute equalizer seemed like it would play spoiler once more for Indiana’s chance to climb up the Big Ten standings. As the Terps currently sit in last place, they won’t get the title. But if the Hoosiers tied, they’d be at nine points. Now, they’re second in the Big Ten with 11.

That’s thanks to Karsen Henderlong, who has been phenomenal this month with three goals in five matches. But actually, it was Henderlong’s great vision and assist to the onside Samuel Sarver for the 84th-minute go-ahead goal. Sarver slipped on the shot – and he almost slipped on his celebration dance – but his dart went to the back corner of the net. The go-to junior leads the team with six goals. In back-to-back games, Indiana has gotten the go-ahead, game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes. 

Both have been the result of the Henderlong-Sarver duo. 

That’s gutsy. And in the team’s last four wins, the attack has scored two goals each time. Another reminder: Indiana didn’t score two goals in eight matches spanning from late August to the first week of October. The Hoosiers are undoubtedly the hottest team in the conference, led by Henderlong and Sarver’s October spree. They’ve combined for five of the team’s nine goals so far this month.

Indiana is second in the Big Ten with 11 points, two points shy of 13-point leader No. 20 Michigan State, which defeated No. 21 Northwestern Friday night also. The Hoosiers have two matches left: at Northwestern next Tuesday, and hosting Rutgers after that. Michigan State has just one match remaining. Should the Hoosiers win out, they’ll hoist the conference trophy outright regardless.

There's something about Indiana soccer in October. 

Related stories on Indiana Soccer: 

• INDIANA BEATS OHIO STATE 2-1: Captain Joey Maher scored the Hoosiers' first goal, but blamed himself for allowing Ohio State's equalizer. Karsen Henderlong picked him up. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA SOCCER BLANKS EVANSVILLE: Taking a break from Big Ten play, Indiana beat Evansville 2-0 at home Wednesday night. The match was delayed an hour in the second half due to lightning. CLICK HERE
• SEASON OUTLOOK: BACHARACH'S PLACEMENT IN THE MIDFIELD: Defender Hugo Bacharach, starting in the midfield for the first time this season, had two assists Saturday. Bacharach commanded the space; this could be the answer. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA BEATS NO. 19 PENN STATE 2-1 ON THE ROAD: Indiana faced Penn State on the road Saturday at Noon ET, winning 2-1 to leap in the RPI and gain points for the Big Ten title hunt. A recap from Happy Valley: CLICK HERE
• JT HARMS FEATURE: JT Harms dove into goalkeeping at 9 years old. He trained with far older players at academies, but his progress stalled at Duke. At Indiana, a position battle brought humility — and confidence. CLICK HERE