BALTIMORE, Maryland November 16, 2014 - It was so sublime that it shocked even those hoping for success, so perfect that even the opposition had to tip their cap, and so perfectly timed that it might just as well have been the very last act of a dramatic masterpiece.
Maryland and Indiana had battled through 85 minutes of gritty, 'give no quarter, take no quarter' soccer on a cold, gray Sunday afternoon at Ludwig Field in College Park, Maryland. It was the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament, a game Maryland earned the right to host by winning the regular season title. The Terps scored just before the half when the Freshman from Sweden, Christoffer Wallander-Ianev, beat the Hoosier Keeper, Colin Webb. Mikey Ambrose and Chris Odoi-Atsem were credited with assists. For over one half of an hour in the second half the Terps defended that lead while still attacking the Indiana Goal with almost reckless abandon. The Maryland Defense has been so stingey during their long unbeaten streak (now 11 games) that Maryland's athletic and talented midfielders dared to do that, even in so pressured a situation. Then disaster struck Maryland, even though, in truth, the Hoosiers had played so well that they didn't deserve to be behind. Andrew Oliver of the Hoosiers barged into the box with the ball in the 64th minute, but his way to the goal was blocked by a Terrapin defender. The ball seemed to flick away from Oliver as he tried to move past the defender, just as All-American Middie Dan Metzger raced back to help. Metzger ran onto the ball and intended to pass it to Maryland Keeper Zack Steffen, the hero of heroes in the semi-final shootout win on Friday over Michigan State. But Metzger's pass hit Oliver's heel and richocheted past Steffen for what was ruled an own goal. Now, the game was tied. Maryland now pressed like they hadn't pressed the entire weekend. With just under five minutes left Alex Shinsky ran right down the middle of the field looking for a pass. Two Hoosiers crowded in on him. As Shinsky began to put space between himself and the defenders, one of them swung and arm and sent the Maryland Senior to the turf. The referee saw this - an unlikely event off of the ball - and sounded his whistle. The Indiana bench howled. But it was a very good call. You just don't see a call like that very often when the game is being officiated by only one man. The foul occurred just two yards beyond the top of the penalty area. Indiana's players formed a wall and edged it as close to the spot of the ball as they dared. The official moved them back a shade. Tsubassa Endoh and Mael Corboz stood over the ball, with either of them free to take the kick. Corboz - who takes most of Maryland's penalty kicks - advanced quickly to the ball after the referee whistled play to continue. His kick rose quickly over the wall, then knuckled to the left, finally nestling into the upper corner of the net just past the desperate dive of Colin Webb. Even Indiana Fans were left tipping their cap. There were just over four minutes left when it went in, and with it, Maryland won their first Big Ten Soccer Championship in just their first year in the Conference.
Indiana was so crest-fallen that they seemed only a shadow of the team that competed so ferociously for the first 85 minutes. One of their players tried to pass a ball to Webb, but it went way wide of the Keeper and past the endline, giving Maryland a corner kick that they took plenty of time to set up. Twice Indiana kicked the ball out of bounds and the ball never came near the Terrapin end during the entire four minutes Maryland had to kill. Then came the celebration.
Maryland, by winning, gets the conference's official NCAA Tournament Berth, but in truth, both the Terps and Hoosiers are in the Big Show, probably to be joined by anywhere from three to five other Big Ten Schools. The entire field will be announced Monday, November 17.
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