Entering Tuesday’s contest with No. 16 Indiana, Northwestern needed to at least earn a draw to stay alive in Big Ten Tournament contention.
Thirteen minutes into the Wildcats’ (8-7-1, 2-6-1 Big Ten) clash with the Hoosiers (9-3-5, 7-1-2 Big Ten), the tie became a must-win when Michigan State drew 2-2 with Ohio State.
It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. NU lost 6-1, effectively eliminating itself from any postseason play. Graduate student defender Brandon Clagette turned in the lone goal for the ’Cats.
On an uncharacteristically warm late October day in Bloomington, Indiana, NU took the field with a daunting task: beating the Hoosiers, a squad NU was 4-37-7 against all-time entering Tuesday’s match.
The hosts struck first in the 17th minute. Indiana’s Samuel Sarver fired a shot from well beyond the penalty box past diving NU junior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León to put Indiana up 1-0.
Ponce de León made his first save in the 22nd minute as the Hoosier onslaught continued. Indiana outshot the ’Cats 17-2 in the first half.
The Hoosiers scored their second goal –– again beyond the penalty box –– when Tommy Mihalic fired a rocket into the right side netting.
Mihalic notched a brace three minutes later, when he converted from the penalty spot to put Indiana up 3-0, a score that remained until halftime.
In the 58th minute, former NU forward and current Indiana graduate student Justin Weiss made a move around a ’Cats defender and fired the fourth goal for Indiana.
NU finally entered the score column when sophomore defender Bryant Mayer found Clagette in the box in the 64th minute. Clagette took a strong touch and pushed a shot past the Indiana goalkeeper to make the game 4-1.
Weiss scored his second goal of the contest in the 73rd minute, and Indiana’s Charlie Heuer scored in the 88th minute to make the final score 6-1, ending NU’s hopes of qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament.
The ’Cats will have their final match of the season on Nov. 3 against Penn State on Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Kickoff will be 1 p.m.
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