No. 2 Indiana Advances to NCAA-Record 19th College Cup

Friday, December 1

Bloomington, Ind.

7:00 PM

Indiana University

17-0-6

Michigan State

13-3-4

OT 1

OT 2

Michigan State

Indiana

No. 2 Indiana Advances to NCAA-Record 19th College Cup

12/2/2017 12:09:00 AM | Men's Soccer

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trey Muse was ready.

Was he ever.

Indiana's freshman goalkeeper had already delivered a feed-me gesture after his second penalty kick shootout save against Michigan State. One more Friday night save at Armstrong Stadium would clinch Indiana's NCAA-best 19^th College Cup berth.

The moment arrived after regulation and overtime produced a 1-1 tie, and then a 3-2 IU lead in penalty kicks.

Giuseppe Barone lined up the Spartans' final shot. Make it and Indiana would be forced to make its last attempt to win. Miss and the Hoosiers would celebrate.

Barone fired toward the corner. Muse dived right and knocked the ball away, blasting away Hoosier PK shootout demons in the process.

Celebration.

"It was time to eat," Muse said about the gesture. "After that save, it's time to eat."

Eating will continue in Philadelphia. IU (17-0-6) will meet the winner between No. 3 North Carolina (16-3-1) and Fordham (15-5-2) in a Dec. 8 semifinal. It's the Hoosiers' first College Cup berth since 2012, when they won their eighth national championship.

"When you come to Indiana, you want to win a national championship," senior midfielder Trevor Swartz said. "That's the ultimate prize.

"We've come close before. It means the world to me to go. We've been working for this since we got here. It's amazing."

A few weeks ago, in a Big Ten tourney title game draw to Wisconsin, Muse had been replaced in goal by Sean Caulfield for the PK shootout.

This time Muse got the shot, and delivered.

"I felt confident and excited," he said. "Once I pulled that save, I just kept going. It's a great feeling."

Added coach Todd Yeagley: "Sean has been fantastic in training, and we had an instinct (against Wisconsin). With Trey, talk about a mature young man at his age. He doesn't get rattled.

"He knew he'd be in if it came to a PK shootout. He really wanted it."

Michigan State (13-3-4) also really wanted it. Instead, the Spartans settled for their third Elite Eight appearance in the last five years.

"I wish them all the best in the College Cup," Michigan State coach Damon Rensing said of IU. "I'm pushing for our Big Ten brothers to win the national title."

Of course, 90 minutes of regulation wasn't enough. These teams had ended the regular season in a 1-1 tie.

A crowd of 5,450, the sixth largest in Armstrong Stadium history, witnessed a season first:

IU trailed.

Michigan State scored less than two minutes into the match when Ryan Sierakowski and DeJuan Jones, the Spartans' most dangerous offensive players (they'd each come in with 19 points) got free for a score. Ken Krolicki and then Jones set up a Sierakowski scoring header and a rowdy crowd went silent.

That reflected a strong Spartan start in which they controlled the action and shots against the nation's best defense.

"I'd rather have gotten the lead in the 89^th minute rather than the second minute," Rensing said, "but that's soccer."

Added Muse: "Goals happen. I put it behind me. I rebounded. So did the team. "We didn't let it get to our heads."

IU responded by attacking. Grant Lillard, Cory Thomas, Trevor Schwartz and Francesco Moore all got off shots in an eight-minute burst. The problem -- they came against Big Ten goal keeper of the year Jimmy Hague. The 6-4 Hague allowed nothing but frustration.

Still, the Hoosiers kept up the pressure. The Spartans and Hague withstood it.

In one furious sequence with nine minutes left in the first half, IU had three shots on goal, the last a Andrew Gutman header that hit the far post and bounced away.

Hague's seven first-half saves showcased his athleticism and anticipation.

The key question -- could he keep it up for another 45 minutes against a relentless Indiana attack?

The quick answer -- no.

Swartz scored off his own corner kick to tie it at 1-1 15 minutes into the second half.

Then Indiana really turned up the heat.

At times the Hoosiers lived in front of the Michigan State goal, but couldn't score. They ended regulation with a 23-10 edge on shots, 9-5 advantage with shots on goal.

Overtime arrived.

Michigan State controlled the first 10-minute overtime period (four shots to IU's zero), but the teams remained in a 1-1 deadlock, and then the second session.

Still, the tie held.

That meant PK shootout, something IU has struggled with in recent years.

Not on Friday night, although you'd never know it from Yeagley's reaction.

"We never want to get to PKs," he said. "We train hard for it. You don't want to see the game won there. It's a tough way to go out. It's not the way you want to finish the game."

But IU did finish – Moore, Rece Buckmaster and Austin Panchot all converted their PK chances -- and will reap a Philadelphia reward.

"I know how much this means to so many people," Yeagley said. "I'm responsible for this. I'm the one it's on. To get this opportunity, it's a great feeling of accomplishment. There's nothing like IU soccer.

"This is one I'll never forget in a good way."