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Indiana’s College Cup run comes to an end against Maryland

The quest for a ninth national title will have to wait until next season

Senior Timmy Mehl breaks down following the final game of his collegiate career.
Auston Matricardi

Two of the best teams in the country walked into Harder Stadium on Friday night with dreams of a national championship. One walked out with those dreams intact. It wasn’t Indiana.

The Hoosiers’ hopes of bringing their quest for a ninth national title to an end in 2018 fizzled out as they lost 2-0 to the Maryland Terrapins.

In the first half the teams traded attacking efforts, Maryland leading Indiana 6-4 in shots, but neither could gain an edge on the scoreboard until just before the half.

In the 39th minute Maryland midfielder Eli Crognale sent a corner kick into the box. The ball bounced around and a clearance attempt from Indiana failed. Matt Di Rosa found it for the Terps and put it in the back of the net to give them a 1-0 lead.

“Tonight, the ball wasn’t bouncing,” IU coach Todd Yeagley said. “We couldn’t find that bounce that we needed.” This became a common theme throughout the evening for the Hoosiers.

Indiana dominated possession in the second half and got the bulk of the scoring opportunities. They led the Terrapins 11-4 in shots in the final period, but they couldn’t find an equalizer.

In the 79th minute Maryland earned a free kick. Crognale sent it into the box and Donovan Pines got a toe on the ball to put it in the goal. 2-0 Terps.

Ultimately Indiana couldn’t capitalize on their chances, leading to a 2-0 final score.

“There were moments we could’ve been better,” senior Austin Panchot said. “Today just wasn’t our day.”

So that’s it. The end of the season for a team that should rank among the most talented in program history and the end of a career for a group of seniors that had quite the impact.

“It’s really hard to go all the way and win a championship but I told them, particularly the senior group, that I feel they’ll go down as one of the best teams that’s ever worn the uniform,” Yeagley said.