Indiana had one last chance.
With three seconds remaining, Oliver Moller-Jensen sent a shot just over the crossbar. It was the final missed opportunity on a night when the Hoosiers struggled to turn promising attacks into anything on target.
No. 2 Indiana fell 1–0 at Rutgers on Friday night, with Francesco Di Ponzio’s 73rd-minute goal providing the difference. In rain and slippery conditions, the Hoosiers couldn’t find an answer.
The biggest issue was execution in the final third. Indiana finished with nine shots, but only one on goal. Rutgers put eight of its 14 attempts on target, forcing goalkeeper Michal Mroz into seven saves to keep the Hoosiers within reach.
Indiana showed flashes early.
In the eighth minute, Stephane Njike lifted the ball over a Rutgers defender, controlled it and fired a shot off target from outside the box. A few minutes later, Alex Matthews delivered a free kick into the box that gave Nick McHenry a headed opportunity, but his attempt also missed.
Those sequences gave Indiana something to build on, but sustained rhythm was difficult to find. Frequent throw-ins and fouls interrupted the opening half, while the wet surface left players struggling to keep their footing.
Rutgers had its own opportunities. An early distribution mistake from Mroz gave Amer Lukovic a wide-open look, but his shot went wide. Mroz later handled a long-range effort from Devon Stopek before making a much bigger stop late in the half.
Di Ponzio broke through for a one-on-one opportunity in the 40th minute, but Mroz denied him on the doorstep. Di Ponzio’s follow-up went off target, keeping the match scoreless at halftime.
Indiana’s only shot on goal came through Moller-Jensen in the 32nd minute, with Rafael Ponce De Leon making the save. The Rutgers goalkeeper wouldn’t have to make another.
The Scarlet Knights pushed harder after the break.
Matty Lynch forced a save in the 49th minute, then tested Mroz again a few minutes later. Dan Karsten followed with another close-range opportunity, but Mroz kept Rutgers off the board.
At the other end, Nolan Kinsella helped create some of Indiana’s better moments. His ball into the box found Easton Bogard, who took a touch, turned and sent a left-footed shot just wide in the 56th minute. Another delivery nearly connected with Njike making a run ahead of his defender.
Indiana was getting into threatening positions. It just wasn’t making Rutgers pay.
The breakthrough went the other way.
Di Ponzio worked through Indiana’s defense again in the 73rd minute and had his first shot blocked by Josh Maher. He stayed with the play, collected the second chance and finished into the bottom-right corner.
Indiana’s bench appealed for some sort of foul, and a video review followed. The goal stood.
The Hoosiers pushed for an equalizer, with Bennett Painter nearly providing one in the 81st minute. Kinsella sent a ball into the box, and Painter rose for a header that went over the goal.
Rutgers continued to threaten as well. William Pierce forced two more saves from Mroz late, preventing Indiana from committing forward without concern.
Bogard nearly found Moller-Jensen with a cross in the closing minutes, but the connection wasn’t there. Then came Moller-Jensen’s final attempt over the bar.
Indiana finished with nine corners to Rutgers’ four, but the extra set-piece opportunities never produced a breakthrough.
Mroz gave the Hoosiers chances to stay in the match. Their attack couldn’t give him the goal they needed.
The loss ends Indiana’s unbeaten season, handing the Hoosiers their first defeat after an 11-0-2 start.
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