Tensions grew higher with each passing minute.
No. 25 Indiana men’s soccer led No. 15 UCLA 2-1, and even as chants of “Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers" seemed to drown out the home crowd Friday night in Los Angeles, California, ta Bruins’ equalizer felt dangerously close.
Yet, it never arrived. Indiana escaped an attacking onslaught from UCLA to earn its fifth straight win and move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten table.
“They’re a blue blood, they’re a proud program and we knew we’d get their best,” head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “It wasn’t our cleanest night, but we did all the little things well. We bent a little bit but didn’t break.”
From the outset of the match, the tempo was rapid. Indiana matched UCLA’s speed and traded possessions, but when the pace started to slow, Indiana took advantage.
In the 25th minute, freshman center back Josh Maher lofted a diagonal pass to junior defender Quinton Elliot, who took control just outside UCLA’s six-yard box. Elliot quickly centered the ball to graduate forward Justin Weiss, who blasted his fourth goal in the last three matches.
The reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Weiss’ emergence coincided with Indiana’s drastic midseason turnaround. But that’s not exactly a coincidence.
“Weiss is feeling it,” Yeagley said. “He’s healthy, he’s confident, he’s working his ass off.”
25' | Weiss' fourth in three games opens the scoring!#IUMS 1, UCLA 0 pic.twitter.com/8KAMFf9jjS
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) October 26, 2024
For the remainder of the half, UCLA maintained both the lion’s share of possession and attacking chances. The Bruins led 11-4 in shots through the first 45 minutes and had three consecutive shots deflected — the last by the post — in a chaotic sequence shortly before the break.
From the start of the second half, the frenetic tempo resurfaced. UCLA remained on the front foot, but fitting to a theme that’s become recurring in recent matches, Indiana only needed a small opening to strike.
In the 60th minute, after fifth-year senior goalkeeper JT Harms made a routine save, he darted toward the top of the penalty area and launched a punt through traffic. It fell into the Bruins’ half, where senior forward Sam Sarver retrieved the pass with one man to beat.
Sarver whirled around UCLA junior midfielder Tarun Karumanchi, taking a couple touches before gliding a shot into the bottom left corner. Immediately following the goal, Sarver gleefully jogged the length of the field to celebrate with one player in particular.
60' | ? Goalkeeper assist!@johntylerharms | @samsarver_ pic.twitter.com/sX3HrqQquq
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) October 26, 2024
It was Harms, who tallied the first assist of his collegiate career. The second goal marked a noteworthy benchmark for Indiana — it was the squad’s eighth consecutive match scoring at least two goals, the longest multi-goal stretch for the Hoosiers since 2001.
“We knew it would come,” senior midfielder Patrick McDonald said of the team’s goalscoring. “The team wasn’t getting divided, we weren’t getting on each other, we just kept giving these guys confidence.”
Perhaps most impressively Friday night, Indiana did so with just five total shots.
“The chances didn’t come as frequent tonight,” Yeagley said. “But we’ve been taking our finishes better. We’ve been working hard on that. We don’t need 15, 16 shots.”
Roughly five minutes after Sarver’s goal, UCLA quickly answered. Freshman midfielder Tamir Ratoviz poked a pass inside the box to graduate midfielder Edrey Caceres, who one-timed a shot past Harms’ outstretched gloves.
Tension ensued. For the final ten minutes of play, Indiana was forced to sit back and withstand a bevy of Bruin attacks. Fifth-year senior center back Jansen Miller provided a key block in the 85th minute, and Harms ultimately registered five saves.
There was a palpable sense of relief when the clock struck 90 minutes, but it would only last so long. Indiana is well aware of the implications surrounding its final conference regular season matchup on Oct. 29 against Northwestern.
“While we would love to celebrate it longer, we got to focus on the next one,” junior midfielder Jack Wagoner said. “It’s nearing the end of the season and all these points matter.”
The Hoosiers’ bout against the Wildcats is set to kick off at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.
