Indiana Takes Down Maryland 2-0 Behind Bezerra Brace

Wednesday, April 14

Bloomington, Ind.

7:30 PM

Indiana University

9-1-0, 7-1-0

Maryland

4-4-2, 4-3-1

Maryland

Indiana

Indiana Takes Down Maryland 2-0 Behind Bezerra Brace

4/14/2021 10:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Watch | Todd Yeagley Press Conference Watch | Roman Celentano Press Conference

#IUMS Advances to Big Ten Tournament Final

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 3 Indiana (9-1-0) defeated the fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins (4-4-2) by a score of 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2020-21 Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament under the lights at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night.

KEY MOMENTS
• Early in the first half, junior defender Nyk Sessock won a corner and sophomore forward Victor Bezerra played in the cross but redshirt senior forward A.J. Palazzolo couldn't get a head to it.
• Bezerra won possession in midfield and fired from 35 yards out in the 23rd minute. His shot forced a diving save from the Maryland goalie and earned IU a corner kick.
• In the 42nd minute, redshirt sophomore midfielder Ben Yeagley fired in a cross into the box that met the head of Bezerra. The sophomore forward flicked on a shot that went just over the top of the crossbar.
• Bezerra played in another great chance on net just moments later. His left-footed shot was met by the outstretched arms of the Maryland keeper.
• IU opened the scoring in the 47th minute. Sessock fired on a cross from the right flank that found the right foot of Bezerra who tapped in the opener.
• Moments later, redshirt sophomore forward Ryan Wittenbrink cut in on his right foot and put a shot on net. His shot challenged the Maryland keeper who dove to his right and denied Wittenbrink from goal.
• IU added a second goal in the 56th minute that effectively put the tie to bed. On a free kick, redshirt junior midfielder Joe Schmidt rolled a ball to Bezerra who buried the one-time finish in the bottom corner of the net for a 2-0 lead.
• Sophomore goalie Roman Celentano got in on the action in the 59th minute with a diving save to his right to refuse Maryland's Brayan Padilla of a goal.
• Celentano came up with one more key save in the 67th minute to deny Padilla once more and preserve the shutout.

NOTABLES
• IU is 10-0-5 in the last five Big Ten Conference Tournaments. Its last loss came in the Big Ten Championship match against Maryland (2-1) on Nov. 16, 2014.
• With the win, Indiana advances to its fourth-straight Big Ten Championship match, the longest streak since the Hoosiers played for the title in six-straight seasons from 1994-99.
• The Hoosiers will face the second-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions for Big Ten Tournament Championship. The matchup will be the seventh between the two programs with the tournament crown on the line. IU is 4-1-1 in the previous six matchups.
• The top two teams will collide in the tournament championship for just the 10th time in conference history and the first time since 2009. The No. 1 seeds are 6-2-1 in the previous nine matchups.
• Bezerra bagged his 10th goal of the season and fourth brace of the year on Wednesday evening. His two second-half goals take him to 18 during his IU career.
• The Chicago native has the most goals in his first two seasons in an Indiana uniform since Eriq Zavaleta in 2011-12. He now has the most goals by an individual for the Hoosiers in a single Big Ten Tournament with four.
• Schmidt and Sessock both added assists for the Hoosiers.
• Wednesday's shutout was the eighth of the season for Celentano and the 16th of his career.

HOOSIER POINTS
GOALS: Victor Bezerra (2)
ASSISTS: Joe Schmidt, Nyk Sessock

UP NEXT
Indiana will host the second-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions on April 17 in Bloomington in the Big Ten Tournament Championship final. The game will be televised on BTN at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Consistent with IU Athletics' ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of students, coaches, staff, spectators and the local community, men's soccer matches will be continue to be played without fans indefinitely. All times, dates, and locations are subject to change.

@IndianaMSOC
For all the latest on Indiana University men's soccer, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMSOC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#GoIU