Ohio State Drops B1G Opener at Indiana

Junior goalkeeper Alex Ivanov ties season high with 10 saves

BLOOMINGTON, IND.  – On a rainy Sunday afternoon, the Ohio State men’s soccer team fell, 2-0, at Indiana at Armstrong Stadium to open Big Ten conference play. The Hoosiers (4-4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) posted two first-half goals en route to the league victory against the Buckeyes (2-5-2, 0-1 Big Ten). The contest was televised live on Big Ten Network.
 
Junior goalkeeper Alex Ivanov tied his season high with 10 saves vs. the Hoosiers, while the Buckeyes produced a strong-second half, collecting a 3-2 advantage in corners, while shots were 8-5 in favor of Indiana. Ivanov falls to 2-4-1, while IU goalkeeper Michael Soderlund improves to 4-3-1 in 2013.
 
The first 30 minutes of play went scoreless. Following a media timeout, the Indiana offense put the pressure on the Buckeye backfield, which held strong throughout the entire contest. The Hoosiers notched three-consecutive shots inside the penalty area during the 26th minute but blocks by seniors Ben Killian and Sage Gardner as well as a diving save by Ivanov kept it a scoreless contest.  The OSU goalkeeper claimed seven saves vs. the defending national champions in the first half.
 
But, the Hoosiers were able to find the back of the net seven minutes later after a deflection by IU forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen following an IU shot gave the home squad a 1-0 lead at 33:42. Harrison Petts was credited with the assist. Two minutes later, Nikita Koltov made it 2-0 at 37:02 when he scored on a header following a cross from the far side of Jerry Yeagley Field.
 
Ohio State had several chances to get on the board in the first half. Junior Zach Dobey gained possession on the near side of the goal during the 15th minute and earned a corner, but Indiana was able to clear it out of its back line. Junior Kenny Cunningham had two shots on goal, including a header off a corner at 39:09, while Gardner also had a shot on target.  Ivanov made a great save from his knees just before halftime to keep it a two-goal contest.
 
In the second half, the Scarlet and Gray continued to battle on both sides of the field vs. the Hoosiers. A shot on goal by Gardner at 56:43 was foiled by Soderlund. Eleven minutes later, sophomore Zach Mason ripped a shot from 30 yards out and just missed the top right corner of goal at 67:39.
 
Seven Buckeye newcomers/underclassmen gained valuable Big Ten experience in the second session vs. the Hoosiers: Diego Aguirre, Danny Jensen, Henry Chancy, Christian Soldat, Alex Bujenovic, Austin Bergstrom and Kofi Agyapong all tallied minutes against Indiana.