If enough pressure is applied to something, it will eventually crack.
On Sunday evening, it felt as if Northwestern’s defense was the target of Queen and David Bowie’s hit collaboration “Under Pressure.”
The No. 2 Hoosiers, who are the number-one seed in the Big Ten Tournament, were constantly on the attack in their 2-1 win against the Wildcats. At the end of the first half, IU led 13-0 in shot attempts. Yet, no goals were scored.
It took 80 minutes to finally find the open seal and crack Northwestern’s defense. Sophomore Spencer Glass crossed it in from the left side, but it ricocheted off the near post and flew past the keeper, and senior Rece Buckmaster slid in to finish it off.
IU’s relentlessness finally paid off and the game-winning goal was presumably scored.
I say presumably because Northwestern had one shot attempt all day, and that shot soared so high and so far it could have been characterized as not a shot. Surely nothing would be created in the final 10 minutes for Northwestern.
After IU’s goal, the team almost scored again after senior Jeremiah Gutjahr fired a shot that missed wide, but senior Trevor Swartz was one touch away from putting Gutjahr’s shot in himself. That would have really been the nail in the coffin.
But, soccer can be a cruel sport sometimes. Coach Todd Yeagley made that clear after the game, and the cruelty of the sport showed itself with one minute and 24 seconds left until the clock struck zero.
Northwestern’s Matt Moderwell, who scored the lone goal against IU in the regular season, somehow managed to volley a shot from basically one goal post to the other and it banged off the far post and into the net.
“It was a world-class shot,” Yeagley said.
There wasn’t much the team could do. So, what did the team do?
The players circled around one another at the end of regulation, regrouped and continued their relentless offensive attack.
Northwestern didn’t see IU’s side of the field in overtime as it took the Hoosiers just six minutes to find the golden goal. Senior Francesco Moore fought non-stop for the ball deep in Northwestern territory, and after finally taking it away, he crossed it up to the far post, and all Glass had to do was make contact with his head and it was over.
A 2-1 overtime victory thanks to 27 total shots throughout the 96 minutes and 11 seconds played.
Two goals on 27 shots may not equal out to the prettiest percentage, but that’s not what counts.
As the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Northwestern had to defeat Ohio State the day before to compete against IU. With their fatigue working to IU’s advantage, the purple and black played many players back to do its best to shut down IU’s offense.
The Hoosiers knew this, so they centered their attack on getting it to the outside and sending in balls to a clustered box of white jerseys. There were few moments for Northwestern to breathe, and whenever it would clear the ball away, IU would regain possession and begin suffocating Northwestern's defense once again.
Moderwell’s goal didn’t rattle the Hoosiers. It just gave them another opportunity to continue their offensive onslaught.
In IU’s game against Maryland on Oct. 12, the teams were tied 1-1 and the Hoosiers put pressure and more pressure on the Terrapins until their defense cracked with 18 seconds left to take the 2-1 victory.
Maryland, the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, is IU’s next opponent Friday in Westfield, Indiana.
The Terrapins know what to expect and will most likely push more players back. But, like Sunday’s game, that strategy and preparation may not be enough to stop IU’s pressure from cracking its defense.
