Men’s soccer loses in overtime to Michigan State

In the moments after IU men’s soccer’s 3-2 loss to Michigan State on Friday, only one player remained on the field.

While walking toward the locker room, the Spartans, enveloped in their celebration of a game-winning overtime goal, sped past a row of Hoosiers, who hung their heads as they trudged silently underneath the now-empty bleachers.

IU’s Bill Armstrong Stadium had nearly emptied — save for a few stray camera crews and groundskeepers — but senior midfielder Harrison Petts remained, motionless, in front of the net where MSU’s game-winner found a home.

A huddle of IU players and coaches broke and made its way to Petts, who waved off the attempted consolation of his teammates.

Petts and fellow senior midfielders A.J. Corrado, Nikita Kotlov and Jacob Bushue and defender Matt McKain were honored before Friday’s game, their final regular-season home match.

“I was just trying to take it all in, my last game here,” Petts said of his moments after the game. “There have been a lot of good and bad memories, and I just wanted to sit down on the field for one last time and kind of take it all in.”

Almost immediately after the senior night honors concluded and the game kicked off,
IU found itself in a hole. A goal by Michigan State junior midfielder Kyle Rutz gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.   

The Hoosiers responded quickly, with Kotlov leveling the score after a strong solo effort.

Kotlov collected the ball in the center of the field, beat his man and fired a left-footed shot from the left corner of the penalty area. His blast froze the goalkeeper and pulled the Hoosiers even.

Michigan State would retake the lead before the halftime break, scoring directly from a throw-in deep in Hoosier territory. The Spartan throw was flicked in front of net, where junior midfielder Fatai Alashe made his way to it and headed past a stunned IU defense to give his team a halftime lead.

Despite controlling play for much of the second half, it looked as if IU would be unable to find an equalizer until IU sophomore forward Andrew Oliver netted his third goal in as many games, putting home a left-footed volley after Corrado split two defenders and found him with a cross.

Oliver’s goal sent the game into overtime, where a familiar storyline took over for the
Hoosiers.

Entering the game, IU had played in five overtime games, losing four and drawing one. A goal with just over two minutes remaining in the second overtime by MSU junior forward Tim Kreutz handed the Hoosiers heartbreak again.

A quick succession of shots from a Spartan corner kick found the bottom of the crossbar, but the Hoosiers were unable to clear the danger, and Kreutz’s header was deemed to have snuck across the goal line, giving IU its fifth overtime defeat of the season.

The loss was IU’s 11th of the season and fourth in Big Ten Conference play, both program highs.

Despite being the Hoosiers’ final regular-season home game — and the senior class’s final of their careers — IU Coach Todd Yeagley said his team’s work at Bill
Armstrong Stadium has yet to be completed this season.

An NCAA Tournament berth, which will now require a championship in this month’s Big Ten Conference Tournament, would open up the possibility of games hosted
in Bloomington.

“I told them we’re going to win the tournament,” Yeagley said. “I’ve never felt more confident about it. I told them, ‘Enjoy your last regular season game here,’ and we’re going to be back here. This team deserves that.”

Follow reporter Alden Woods on Twitter @acw9293.