'The players feel it more than I do': Indiana Soccer's Season Ends As Notre Dame Wins 5-4 In Penalty Shootout

Indiana traveled to South Bend to play No. 2 Notre Dame in the NCAA Elite Eight on Saturday night. For the second straight season, the Hoosiers were eliminated in penalty kicks, 5-4. Indiana's national title drought extends to 11 seasons.

SOUTH BEND — Indiana soccer captain Joey Maher nestled into head coach Todd Yeagley’s shoulder at midfield. Notre Dame fans and players had already crossed both sides of the field in their College Cup berth field-storming celebration. Minutes later, Jansen Miller bawled as he embraced his fellow starting centerback. Maher appeared to tear up as they unlocked.

In back-to-back seasons, Indiana men’s soccer has been ruthlessly eliminated, heartbroken, in penalty-shootout sudden-death. Last season in North Carolina, the Hoosiers lost 7-6 in the national championship to Syracuse. On Saturday night in South Bend, the Hoosiers were walked-off 5-4 in penalties of the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, saving zero Irish pens.

As Notre Dame fans rushed the field in their grey and green — tauntingly past the stunned Hoosier penalty-takers immobile at the center-circle — the Indiana crimson kits were hazy: batches of fans covered them up completely and patches brought them back into view. It symbolized the uncompleted legacy of seniors sealing: great wins and cruel defeats.

Within the past five seasons, Indiana has reached the Sweet 16 twice, played in national championships twice, and now the Elite Eight once. The Hoosiers were defeated in overtime or penalty-kicks in every one of those outings. Entering Saturday night’s contest in South Bend, Yeagley had advanced past the quarterfinals in all five trips of his 14-season tenure. His seniors had advanced in both of their trips. Saturday night shattered that streak.

“I know the players feel it more than I do,” Yeagley said post-match. “They're the ones that left it out there, they're the ones that competed … yeah, it hurts me a lot, but … it's as much for everyone else. It's the players, the program, our alums, Indiana fans, I know how much it means to all of them. We made a lot of fans this year, lot of IU fans grew to like us and understood what this program’s all about.”

Indiana began the season here, drawing with Notre Dame 1-1 in August. The Hoosiers slumped in September and midway through October, though magically surged back to win the Big Ten regular season and conference tournament. One should not underestimate Yeagley and the Hoosiers in November. They own that month, but they haven't yet mastered December. Yeagley and Indiana haven’t won the national championship in 11 seasons.

Winning Saturday would’ve clinched Indiana’s fifth College Cup in seven seasons.

“Yes, we've had multiple back-to-back champions,” Yeagley said. “We've had teams that have gone to multiple Final Fours, yes. But to do it in this day and age, it's not as easy as it maybe would have been many years ago, quite honestly. For [this group] to continue to keep this program at the pinnacle, is what I’ll really remember. I'll remember a lot of the fun times.”

Soccer can be rousing and heartless. Saturday night showed both. The physicality from both teams, Daniel Russo’s free-kick to put the Irish up 1-0, Patrick McDonald’s second-half laser goal which had traits of his goal in last year’s national championship to equalize 1-1, Samuel Sarver’s distanced strike — which hit the crossbar with only 90 seconds remaining — and which would’ve won it for Indiana. The deflection in the 102nd minute that went out right by inches.

“They'll put their head up as they leave, and again, we'll put one foot in front of the other,” Yeagley said. “That's all you can do, but it’s difficult. Penalties are a difficult part of the finish of our sport. I felt like the chances created, and the team that maybe had the best of it, obviously wasn’t the team that won the penalty shootout. That’s the way you have to decide the game.”

In the 102nd minute, Indiana’s Mr. November, the nickname for fifth-year senior Maouloune Goumballe, dribbled along the edge of the box and fired toward goal with eight minutes to go in the second overtime. The ball ricocheted off one of Notre Dame’s defenders, completely fooled the goalkeeper Bryan Dowd, and the trajectory boomerang-curled away from the goal-line. Indiana forward Tommy Mihalic stretched his hands up in celebration. In seconds, he hung his hands over his head.

Last season, in the national title shootout, Indiana players at midfield began to rush toward the goal, but instantly stopped. They believed that Syracuse’s seventh penalty banked the crossbar and out, which would’ve given resolved Indiana's title drought. But Instead, it struck bar-down, tied the shootout 6-6, and Syracuse got one more save and good penalty. Indiana penalty-takers were stunned at midfield. Some refused to move, whilst Syracuse celebrated next to them.

On Saturday night, Mihalic slowly and aimlessly wandered the pitch.

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