Men's Conference Tourney Semi Final Recap

by Tom Hindle

November 10, 2022

Sam Sarver couldn’t quite decide how to celebrate. There was a flip, a kiss of the wrist, an imaginary arrow shot into the Maryland night. There might have also been a taunt or two at the opposing fans. It’s natural that the Indiana forward’s reaction was frenetic. He’d just scored the opener in his team’s 2-1 win over Maryland in the Big Ten tournament semi final — the first of two goals in five minutes to knock off the no. 1 seeded Terrapins.

His goal was one of a glut of highlight plays in big games Wednesday night. There were eight semi finals across four conferences, setting up four championship games. Here’s a look at all eight.

Indiana Edges Maryland in College Park, 2-1

In the end, Joseph Maher reacted first. His Indiana teammate Jack Wagoner fizzed a ball into the box, a speculative thing lashed into a glut of bodies. And Maher swung his leg, sending the ball into the roof of the net. It was Indiana’s second goal in five minutes, the completion of a first half double for the Hoosiers to take a 2-0 lead — one that proved to be unassailable on the night. Indiana soaked up early pressure from Maryland and was more clinical in front of goal. Sarver scored the first after a crafty cross from Ryan Wittnebrink. And Maher’s second, just five minutes later, gave the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead at the break. There was something of a Maryland fight back. The Terrapins got a goal through Colin Griffith mid way through the second half — the freshman curling the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. They were perhaps unlucky not to fight another, as Chris Rindov rattled the bar with a header shortly after. But after Maryland rattled the woodwork again with 10 minutes remaining, there was something of a sense that it wasn’t their night. The Hoosiers killed the game with relative comfort, sealing a spot in the Big Ten championship with a 2-1 win.

Rutgers Wins At Home, 2-1

It was the shortest player on the pitch who put Rutgers ahead. Winger Jackson Temple — barely 5 feet 5 inches — ran across his defender and nodded the ball home from close range. That goal got the Scarlet Knights started in their Big Ten tournament semi final clash in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Buckeyes pulled one back just after half time, with Xavier Green concluding a well worked move with a poked finish. And although the Buckeyes outshot Rutgers, 14-10, every Rutgers attack seemed a little more imaginative. Chris Tiao eventually came up with the winner, dispossessing an Ohio State defender high up the pitch before lashing home from a tight angle. The Scarlet Knights could have added one or two more, if not for a duo of diving saves from Keagan McLaughlin.

Syracuse Buries Virginia on Penalty Kicks

Syracuse tried the same sequence a few times over the course of their ACC semi final against Virginia. A series of passes down the left flank, an overload, dragging two defenders out of possession. For 83 minutes, it failed. But in the 84th, it worked. Lorenzo Boselli was the beneficiary, the midfielder putting the finishing touch on a one-two, dragging his shot into the bottom corner. His goal locked a hectic semi final at 2-2, sending the game careening to extra time. An extra 20 minutes offered little concrete action — with penalties left to decide the contest. Syracuse goalkeeper Russell Shealy played hero, saving Andreas Ueland’s penalty. Meanwhile, the rest of his side buried their efforts, with Colin Biros providing the winner. His penalty was a paradoxically calm finish to a chaotic game, but one that the Orange perhaps deserved to win. And for a team mostly written off prior to the season, it was — and is — the continuation of a magical run.

Clemson Batters Wake Forest on The Road, 2-0

Brandon Parrish just whacked the ball. His shot — a 30 yard screamer into the top corner — wasn’t one of finesse or technical brilliance. Instead, it was a strike crushed, battered past a helpless goalkeeper. His goal put Clemson 1-0 up over Wake Forest in the ACC semi final, a fitting way to hand a less favored side the lead. But on the night, the Tigers played like favorites. They outshot Wake Forest, 20-2, and goalkeeper Joseph Andema didn’t have to make a save. The second, when it came, felt somehow inevitable — with Derek Waleffe cracking a deflected volley into the roof of the net. It has been a strange season for the Tigers. The reigning national champions were considered among the favorites to make another run, but injuries and, perhaps, expectations saw them struggle in regular season ACC play. But after beating both Duke and Wake Forest, the Tigers seem to have found form — and shown just why those preseason predictions might have some real weight.

Elsewhere:

Kentucky made relatively easy work of West Virginia, beating the Mountaineers 3-0 in the Sun Belt semi final. Casper Grening scored the opener in the first half. Enzo Mauriz and Eythor Bjorgolfsson added the second and third late in the second to cap off a resounding win.
Seventh seeded James Madison battered Georgia State, 5-0, in the other Sun Belt semi. The Dukes opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, thanks to a chipped finish from Cameron Arnold. And they blew the game open in the second half, with three goals in 13 minutes to put Georgia State away.
Loyola Chicago(m) knocked off Duquesne in the A-10 semi, with Marc Torrellas scoring the only goal. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but Torrellas’ finish was the reward for an aggressive attacking performance on the road. The Ramblers were relatively comfortable throughout, with Simon Jillson only needing to make one save — a diving stop in the 70th minute.
Saint Louis needed penalty kicks to put away Dayton in the other semi. The Billikens went down in the first half but grabbed an equalizer off a set piece late in the second. And after extra time failed to provide a winner, a shootout decided things. Carlos Toffern made two diving stops, while four Billikens buried their efforts.