Oduro scores four in Indiana’s 7-0 Senior Night win over Hanover

Indiana had this one under control pretty much from the start.

The No. 2 Hoosiers scored four goals in the first 15 minutes and took a six goal lead into halftime before finishing off a 7-0 win over Hanover on Friday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. On Senior Night, Collins Oduro led the way with four goals, including a first-half hat trick.

It was a comfortable night for Indiana, which improved to 11-0-2. There wasn’t much drama after the early scoring burst, but the Hoosiers got minutes for players outside their usual lineup and stayed solid defensively despite barely using their regular starting defense.

Bennett Painter opened the scoring less than two minutes into the match, finishing off a touch after an Indiana corner. Grant Paskus picked up the assist, and IU was already putting Hanover under pressure.

Clay Murador made it 2-0 in the seventh minute after Oliver Moller-Jensen found him with a through ball. The Panthers had a couple of promising moments getting forward early, but Indiana closed those down before they became shots.

That was one of the more noticeable parts of the night. Even without its usual defensive starters getting much time, IU’s back line handled what came its way. Hanover occasionally found room to move forward, but the Hoosiers stayed organized and kept those possessions from becoming much of a threat.

At the other end, Indiana was finding openings much more easily.

Oduro scored his first goal of the season in the 14th minute, taking a touch outside the box before beating the goalkeeper. Moller-Jensen assisted that goal, then scored one himself less than two minutes later. After a foul just outside the box, he sent the free kick into the top-left corner for his 10th goal of the season.

With Indiana already ahead 4-0, Painter continued helping create chances. He played Dempsey Resich through before a foul stopped the run, had a header saved off a corner and forced another save with a free kick. Hanover managed to break up some of those opportunities, but IU kept getting into dangerous spots.

Oduro’s next two goals came almost on top of each other.

Jacopo Fedrizzi, who entered off the bench earlier in the half, sent a through ball to Oduro in the 36th minute. Oduro used his speed to get behind the defense and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper.

Just 26 seconds later, Fedrizzi found him again. This time, Oduro took a touch past a sliding defender and drove the ball into the bottom-right corner. His hat trick gave Indiana a 6-0 lead before halftime.

The second half was much quieter, though not because Indiana stopped trying to score.

Hanover did a much better job closing space around its box. There were fewer one on one opportunities and fewer clear paths through the defense, making it harder for IU to create the same chances it had in the opening half.

Painter and Owen Sloan each had efforts saved early after the break. The Hoosiers continued working the ball forward and looking for openings, but Hanover made them work more for those opportunities.

Indiana also continued getting players minutes. Ryan Hunsucker started in goal in place of Michael Mroz and played until the 75th minute, when AJ Piela replaced him. Oduro returned at that same stoppage after sitting out the opening portion of the second half.

He added one more goal before the night was over.

Sloan played a through ball that left Oduro one on one with the goalkeeper, and Oduro chipped it over him to make it 7-0. It was a great example of what had worked for him throughout the match, getting behind Hanover’s defense and making the most of the space once he got there.

Moller-Jensen finished with a goal and two assists, while Fedrizzi assisted two of Oduro’s goals. Painter and Murador accounted for Indiana’s other two scores.

There wasn’t much suspense in the result, but IU took care of the game early and stayed in control through the lineup changes. Oduro’s four goals stood out most, while a defense made up largely of players outside the usual starting group kept Hanover from making things interesting.