IU sophomore Tanner Thompson possessed the ball with 40 seconds left in the match. Trailing by a goal, this could be IU’s last opportunity score the equalizer.
Thompson whipped a cross into the box, trying to find one of the many Hoosier heads waiting for his delivery.
Instead, it found the hands of Xavier senior goalkeeper Eric Osswald.
“That’s probably one of the biggest strengths of my game,” Osswald said. “So any game where I can come out and help our team and not have to deal with second balls, I’m looking to do that.”
Many times, because of the slick field conditions caused by the rain, IU was forced to attack through the air. Almost every time, Osswald was there to snatch the ball out of the air.
“We had to go long more because the ball was sticking in the water,” Thompson said. “I thought we did well going long, created chances, but it just didn’t fall for us.”
Time and time again IU tried going down the wings and playing a ball into the middle, but every time Osswald was there. Other times IU would play a long ball up the middle of the field, but Osswald was always there.
“I think certainly in the last five minutes when the ball goes into the box we’re all pretty confident he’s going to take care of it,” Xavier Coach Andy Fleming said.
As the match wore on, as the field continued to deteriorate due to the rain and as IU became more desperate to find an equalizer, the Hoosiers continued to play more and more balls through the air into the box.
Osswald wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Towards the end they were forced to pump balls into the box which is my wheelhouse,” Osswald said.
No matter how many times Osswald caught a cross or deep ball to stall an IU attack, IU kept going back to it because the field conditions were forcing them to.
IU tried to change things up by playing the ball in higher or closer to the goal line. But Osswald was always there.
“I thought the keeper made a couple nice exits to take pressure off,” Yeagley said. “We wanted to play a little bit shallower and not let him make plays. Especially in the second half he seemed to be always in the right spot.”
Osswald won Big East goalkeeper of the year this season, thanks in large part to performances like these. Osswald didn’t make any spectacular saves in the match, but he kept the ball out of the back of the net.
“Sometimes you don’t have to dive and do a back flip into the upper corner to be a good goalie,” Fleming said. “I think quietly he’s been a good goalie.”
