As Indiana forward Palmer Ault stepped up to the penalty spot in the 90th minute, the Michigan men’s soccer team braced for the inevitable ripple of the net.
But it never came.
In the most dramatic of circumstances, the Wolverines (4-0-2 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten) stunned the top-ranked Hoosiers (5-1-1, 0-1-0) at Bill Armstrong Stadium. For Michigan coach Chaka Daley’s team, it was a statement to the rest of the nation.
If the Wolverines were supposed to be the underdogs, they didn’t seem to get the memo. From kickoff, Michigan took the game to Indiana, winning the first five corners of the match. However, a strong start to the game yielded little result for the Wolverines, as the Hoosiers’ vaunted defense made life difficult in the final third.
Despite Michigan’s upper hand early on, Indiana got on the board first. With the first shot of the game, defender Alex Barger opened the scoring for the home team. It seemed that the difference in execution would be the story of the first half, as the Wolverines were denied by the woodwork twice before the end of the half.
However, on its seventh corner of the night, Michigan was finally rewarded. After a VAR review of a mad scramble in the box, the Wolverines were awarded a penalty with a minute to spare in the first half. Junior midfielder Joao Paulo Ramos took full advantage of the opportunity, leveling the game going into the break, 1-1.
Entering the second half, Michigan was full of confidence that it could pull off the improbable in Bloomington. But it was the Hoosiers who started the second half putting pressure on the Wolverines’ backline for the first time.
Barger came close to doubling his tally with a near post effort that was denied by junior goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson. However, Indiana’s momentum in the game was lost thanks to repeated stoppages for fouls and injuries.
As set pieces became the theme of the match, an unlikely hero stepped up for Michigan. It was sophomore midfielder Kyle Pierson who outleaped everyone to head home a free kick that gave the Wolverines the lead, 2-1.
“We hope that he scores many goals for the rest of his career,” Daley said. “For him to get up there at 5-7 is impressive.”
Just like that, Michigan was within touching distance of a historic victory. But Daley wasn’t satisfied with the one-goal advantage. The Hoosiers continued to ramp up the pressure on the Wolverines, but this time it was the visitors working against the match’s momentum. Junior forward Grayson Elmquist headed home Michigan’s third goal of the day with 10 minutes to play, seemingly putting the game to bed.
However, as the home fans headed for the exits, Indiana continued to ramp up the pressure. With six minutes to play, reigning Big Ten offensive player of the week Collins Oduro finally rewarded the Hoosiers’ probing with a pinpoint strike. Then, with 39 seconds left to play, disaster struck for the Wolverines.
After a VAR review, Indiana was awarded a last minute penalty for a foul inside the box. All of the work Michigan had done to pull off the upset was in jeopardy, as Ault stood face to face with Goldson.
But with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Goldson made the save the Wolverines needed, using the entirety of his 6-foot frame to tip Ault’s penalty onto the post and out of bounds.
“Playing really good teams like this early on in the season will set us up for success going forward,” Daley said. “We’ll enjoy tonight, and we’ll get back to work.”
And that would be all, as Michigan ran down the remaining 39 seconds to shock the number one team in the country. In stunning fashion, the Wolverines are on the board in Big Ten play.
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