Redshirt senior midfielder Kyle Sparks’ goal in the 105th minute was the first IU goal in overtime since 2013 when midfielder Dylan Mares scored against Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hoosiers were moments away from securing their third win in regulation time before Billiken freshman forward Anthony Brown scored in the 89th minute.
The Hoosiers began the game with the upper hand and tested the Billikens’ sophomore goalkeeper Sascha Otte as early as the third minute. Otte also had to be alert to deny redshirt junior midfielder Phil Fives in the 13th minute as IU went in search of the opening goal.
It was the Billikens, however, that would break the deadlock in the 22nd minute when forward Jair Minors blasted the ball toward the top right corner of junior goalkeeper Colin Webb after the ball was played in from the left flank by junior midfielder Joe Saad.
The Hoosiers looked for a quick response, and Otte had to be alert again to deny graduate transfer forward Ben Maurey’s header in the 24th minute.
IU would finally find a way past Otte in the 26th minute when Fives converted senior forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen’s cross into the far corner of the goal way beyond the reach of the 6-foot-2 German.
Sophomore defender Grant Lillard’s header 21 seconds before the end of the half gave the Hoosiers a 2-1 lead, which they kept until Brown scored the Billikens’ equalizer in the 89th minute.
In the first period of overtime, Fives came extremely close to settling the tie in the 97th minute, but his shot was cleared off the line by a Billikens’ defender.
The Hoosiers continued their dominance in the second period of overtime and this time it would be the crossbar that denied the Hoosiers their first overtime goal since 2013.
There was a bit of doubt surrounding Lillard’s header in the 103rd minute that thundered against the underside of the crossbar. The linesman on the far side, however, judged the whole of the ball had not crossed the line and the referee waved for play to go on.
IU would not be denied again.
Three minutes later. Hollinger-Janzen provided the assist for Sparks to score the winning goal for the Hoosiers in the 105th minute.
IU is now 22-9-4 against St. Louis and 6-3-1 this season. The Hoosiers will face IUPUI in another non-conference game Oct. 7, at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
