On a Friday afternoon at Bill Armstrong Stadium, the number two-ranked, undefeated Indiana Hoosiers were looking to keep that streak alive against a struggling Penn State team. Penn State came into the game 0-2 in Big Ten play and with a 2-4 record overall.
Kicking off a four-game home stretch, Indiana controlled the ball to start the game. In just the fourth minute of the match, Oliver Moller-Jensen passed a ball through defenders into the box to Michael Adu-Gyamfi. Adu-Gyamfi, who was making his first start of his career, had trouble with the ball, allowing Penn State to clear it. The Hoosiers would have more chances and five shots throughout the first 25 minutes that they were unable to capitalize on, but it was Penn State that started to attack. Senior Amadou Kone showed off his speed throughout the first half, offering chances for the Nittany Lions and giving Michael Mroz a couple of scares as he had two early saves.
It wasn’t until the 28th minute of the match that Stephane Njike hit the stutter step at midfield, got past his defender, and fed Moller-Jensen. With open field and just a couple of defenders in the box, the star forward hit the gas and nailed a bottom-corner goal past the outstretched arms of Penn State goalie Daniel Peluffo-Wiese. Moller-Jensen notched his sixth of the season, giving the Hoosiers the 1-0 lead and the momentum.
Indiana had a few more scoring chances, including a shot on goal from Moller-Jensen as time was winding down, but the first half officially ended 1-0 in favor of the Hoosiers.
The second half started in a similar fashion; Clay Murador for Indiana had a shot on the ball in front of the goal that he whiffed, but in the 54th minute the Nittany Lions flipped the game on its head. Morgan Marshall put a masterful top-class shot into the very top corner of the goal past Michael Mroz. The shot evened the game and put the pressure on the Hoosiers. Stephane Njike continued his crafty day and followed the goal with a shot of his own that went wide right but got the Hoosiers' blood flowing again.
This would be one of the last scoring chances the Nittany Lions would have during the game. The Hoosiers put attack after attack on the Penn State back line until, eventually, in the 77th minute, Njike delivered a perfect cross to Moller-Jensen, who had a straight shot on the ball to give the Hoosiers the lead. This goal tied Ohio State’s Isaiah Chisholm for second most goals in the country at seven. The Hoosiers didn’t let up following this goal and continued to smother the Lions' defense.
In the 84th minute, a run from Alex Matthews led to a foul committed in the box, giving Indiana their first penalty kick of the year. Njike put a ground shot right into goalie Peluffo-Wiese’s diving body and had a chance at the rebound that he fired over the goal. Indiana proceeded to hold possession of the ball for the rest of the game, securing a gritty win 2-1.
The Hoosiers remain undefeated with the win and will have a week to prepare for a heavyweight matchup against the Maryland Terrapins at Bill Armstrong Stadium on October second.
