As he calmly drifted to the sideline, center back Josh Maher approached a lofted ball with a Maryland attacker in front of him. As the two jostled for position, the freshman won the battle and confidently directed a header to his teammate’s feet.
The act didn't result in a goal or drastically change the outcome of the match, one in which Indiana men’s soccer suffered a 1-0 defeat to Maryland. The contest, stretched across 15 and a half hours due to a weather delay, was filled with uncertainty and sloppy play.
That is, except for Maher.
“In many games, we say we didn’t really notice Josh much,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “He’s just doing the little things really well, making the simple passes that he needs and not (trying) to play outside of his range.”
Maher’s impact on the game was immediate. The first 10 minutes showcased his confidence, as he stepped forward to cut out a pass for a Maryland attacker and blocked a dangerous through ball to a streaking Terrapin.
Barring Maryland’s penalty kick, which resulted in the only goal of the match, Maher and the defensive line allowed few chances in the first half. The Terrapins created five shots with two on goal, but nothing dangerous troubled fifth-year senior goalkeeper JT Harms.
The second half continued the same for Indiana, limiting Maryland to few quality chances. Terrapin junior midfielder Sadam Masereka created the best chance of the half, as his burst of speed dusted Maher. But as he has in many 1v1’s this season, Harms came out on top, using his outstretched left arm to keep the game at 1-0.
Indiana’s backline has slowly begun to gel over the last couple of games, conceding only two goals across three matches. Yeagley can attribute some of that success to Maher.
“He’s got a great demeanor to offset the rest of the backline,” Yeagley said. “He’s played very well.”
In previous matches, Maher’s distribution appeared off, as many of his long balls to his fullbacks and wingers went over their heads and out of bounds. But against Maryland, Yeagley noted Maher’s passes were “cleaner.”
Beyond the distribution, Maher brought simplicity to the match. His entry passes to the midfield created opportunities and “good possessions” for Indiana, Yeagley said, while the head coach also cited Maher’s positive qualities that allow those passes to work.
“He has good timing,” Yeagley said. “He doesn’t telegraph his intentions.”
The last 20 minutes of the match, taking place on Saturday morning after the weather delay, featured an all-out attack strategy from Indiana as it attempted to equalize. But with an unorthodox ending to the game, Indiana struggled to find rhythm.
“It’s hard,” Yeagley said. “It’s weird starting the game and segment in that moment. That’s weird from a rhythm standpoint.”
Despite the possible rhythm issues, Maher delivered as he had the night before. In his 14 minutes before getting subbed off, he blocked a key pass on the endline that was destined for a Maryland foot as well as a shot from the top of the box.
In the end, the score remained 1-0. The Hoosiers, now 2-3-3 on the season, understand their situation, as irritating as it is.
“They’re frustrated, but confident,” Yeagley said. “They’ve done it. They know they have talent in the room.”
Maher is a piece of that talent. And as Yeagley has acknowledged many times before, his performances are beyond his age — a quality the head coach has seen twice before.
“He looks like a junior,” Yeagley said. “I said that about his brothers too. It’s pretty unique.”
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
