Northwestern’s men’s soccer team was eliminated from contention for the Big Ten Tournament after suffering a 6-1 defeat to No. 16 Indiana on Tuesday.
The Wildcats (8-7-1, 2-6-1 Big Ten) needed at least a draw to keep their postseason hopes alive. Thirteen minutes into the match, the situation became critical when Michigan State and Ohio State played to a 2-2 draw, making it a must-win for Northwestern.
Despite the pressure, NU was overwhelmed by Indiana (9-3-5, 7-1-2 Big Ten). Graduate student defender Brandon Clagette scored the Wildcats’ only goal.
On a warm October day in Bloomington, the Wildcats faced a tough challenge against a team they had a historically poor record against, standing at 4-37-7 prior to the match.
Indiana struck first in the 17th minute. Samuel Sarver launched a long shot that beat NU junior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León, putting the Hoosiers ahead 1-0.
Ponce de León made his first save in the 22nd minute as Indiana continued to dominate, outshooting the Wildcats 17-2 in the first half.
The Hoosiers scored their second goal when Tommy Mihalic fired a shot from outside the penalty area into the right side of the net. Mihalic added a third goal from the penalty spot just three minutes later, leaving the score at 3-0 by halftime.
In the 58th minute, former NU player Justin Weiss maneuvered around a defender and scored Indiana’s fourth goal.
Northwestern finally found the net in the 64th minute. Sophomore defender Bryant Mayer set up Clagette, who scored to make it 4-1.
Weiss struck again in the 73rd minute, and Indiana’s Charlie Heuer scored in the 88th minute to finalize the score at 6-1.
With this loss, Northwestern’s chances for the Big Ten Tournament are over. The Wildcats will play their final match of the season against Penn State on November 3 at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
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