Following No. 5-seed Maryland men’s soccer’s convincing 2-1 victory over No. 4-seed Michigan State, the Terps will now face top-seed Indiana on the road for the second time this season.
Maryland has struggled in away games this season, owning a 3-3 record in those games. The Hoosiers haven’t lost at home since Nov. 3, 2025.
The game will begin at 6 p.m. in Bloomington, Indiana, and will be televised on Big Ten Network. The winner of the match will play the winner of No. 3-seed Rutgers and No. 2-seed
Washington for the Big Ten championship. The highest seed in the final will host the championship game.
What happened last time
The last matchup between the two Big Ten soccer powerhouses was a top-10 matchup with the then-No. 6 Terps and the then-No. 2 Hoosiers. Maryland stumbled out the gate in Big Ten play, totaling four points in the three games entering the match, while Indiana had an immaculate 3-0-1 conference record.
Head coach Todd Yeagley’s squad showed it was the superior team in a dominant 3-1 Hoosiers victory.
Indiana controlled the game from the kickoff with smart passes and a suffocating press. Its first goal came in the 17th minute from a Maryland own goal, when Kenny Quist-Therson’s clearance deflected off Leon Koehl into Maryland’s net.
Two minutes later, the Hoosiers extended their lead with a Charlie Heuer goal. Former Terp Stephane Njike sparked the run that led to the goal and later found the net himself in the 63rd minute after two stellar saves from Laurin Mack.
Rodrigo Neri netted the Terps’ lone goal in the 71st minute, but Michal Mroz — the Big Ten leader in save percentage, shutouts and the fewest goals against — silenced Maryland for the remainder of the game.
Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski left the match with frustrations and questions about the Terps’ defensive execution and cohesion along the backline.
What’s happened since
Indiana has continued its dominance since the October bout, finishing No. 5 in RPI and boasting a 14-1-3 record while winning the Big Ten regular season title. Over that time, they also captured ranked wins against No. 16 Michigan State and No. 25 UCLA.
Oliver Moller-Jenson finished as the Hoosiers leading scorer with 12 goals during the regular season, which is good for eighth nationally. Mroz also finished the year as one of the nation’s top goalkeepers with top-five finishes in save percentage and goals against average.
The Terps’ defense has improved mightily since the Indiana game, getting three shutouts in its last five games. They also allowed just one goal to Michigan State in their win and exhibited refined defense against set pieces.
Three things to watch
1. Rest or momentum? Wednesday’s match poses the common question of if having a team with momentum or rest is better for tournament play. Maryland is the team with momentum, coming off its first round victory on Sunday with just two days off. Indiana, on the other hand, is the well-rested team, having had six days of rest following its season finale against the Spartans.
2. Which 11? In the last match against Indiana, Cirovski didn’t include Franklin Affanyi in the starting lineup. Instead, he went with Lillian Fichelle, Ljubomir Popovic, Farouk Cisse and Kenny Quist-Therson on the backline.
The midfield consisted of Leon Koehl, Albi Ndrenika, Luka Juricic and Henry Bernstein, with Rodrigo Neri and Said El Eyssami as attackers. As of late, Cisse has slid into the midfield, with Maxwell Sekyi moving to centerback — which has been working for Cirovski. Popovic will also be back after his one-game red card suspension.
3. Bloomington blues. The Terps have only won two games in Bloomington all time, with the last coming in 2024. Their all-time record in Bloomington is 2-4-3, but drawing will not be an option in a win-or-go-home tournament matchup.
