The Hoosier faithful fell to a hush.  

Referee Cesar Ibarra walked to the field after having just consulted the monitor. He put the whistle to his mouth, produced the VAR signal and pointed directly to the spot. 

Penalty for No. 1 Indiana men’s soccer — and a chance to complete a miraculous comeback. 

Minutes before, the fans were heading in droves to the exits, disappointed by the result on a rainy Saturday night in Bloomington. Michigan had just earned a 3-1 lead, firmly in control of the match and prepared to knock off the top team in the country on their own turf. 

But following a Collins Oduro goal in the 84th minute, the junior forward’s third in three games, the energy inside Bill Armstrong Stadium returned. And after the referee confirmed the foul for Indiana, the Hoosier faithful couldn’t contain their excitement. 

Up stepped Palmer Ault with 39 seconds to go. The senior forward already had two successful penalties this season alone. 

First came his shuffle to the side. Then, his run-up to the ball.  

His foot struck the ball cleanly — and the ball struck just as clean off the post. 

Ault sat on the ground and slowly returned to his feet. Oduro and freshman forward Colton Swan attempted to console him as a shocked silence fell over the stadium. 

Half a minute later, the final whistle blew — a 3-2 defeat for the Hoosiers, the first of their young season. 

“I’ve been around a long time to know that the Big Ten’s not won or lost game one,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said postgame. “I wasn’t disappointed in them, I was disappointed in the result, not them. They fought hard.” 

Indiana’s first half featured a goal from junior defender Alex Barger, but just before halftime, Michigan junior midfielder Joao Paulo Ramos leveled the game from the penalty spot. A finish in the 71st minute from freshman midfielder Kyle Pierson gave the Wolverines the lead, and sophomore forward Grayson Elmquist headed home the insurance goal in the 81st minute. 

With a defeat seemingly imminent, the Hoosiers pushed forward hard. Chance after chance came their way. Whether it was a deflected shot from Nesci, a header off the post from Swan or a misplayed pass from Ault to Oduro in the box, the ball wouldn’t go into the back of the net. 

Until Oduro’s strike with just over six minutes to go, returning a fervor to the otherwise numb crowd. Fans heading for the exits stood and watched from the edge of the fence behind Michigan’s goal, waiting for a moment of magic to complete the comeback. 

The moment came, yet it left just as quickly. Even still, the positives of a comeback opportunity arriving from almost nothing are a positive note the Hoosiers hope to take with them. 

“We’re playing with a confident mindset that we can make a play, it’s not over,” Yeagley said. “That gives the whole team, and obviously our staff, a lot of confidence that no matter what the situation (is) — you know, we hope we aren’t in those, but we can find ways to come out.” 

Ault’s early-season performances featured four goals, including two converted penalties, and two assists in the first six matches. But recently, his goalscoring has dried up, with no goals since Aug. 31 against Oregon State University. 

Saturday marked the perfect opportunity to return to the scoring column, but to no avail, a seemingly perfect opportunity for both Ault and his squad fell short. With support from Oduro and Swan after the pen, and even more comfort from numerous Hoosiers after handshakes with the Wolverines postgame, Yeagley made it clear Indiana has Ault’s back. 

“We just said, ‘Hey, you’re still our guy, keep your head up,’” Yeagley said. “He’s obviously really disappointed because he felt he let the team down. He’s been great for us, so he’s done nothing of the sort.” 

Yeagley and his squad knew that an undefeated season and No. 1 ranking comes with a target on their back. They expected Michigan’s best, and that was exactly what they got. 

But the resolve of his side leaves Yeagley with no big picture concerns. The conference slate isn’t ending anytime soon, and the Hoosiers are still well within reach of a third-straight Big Ten regular season title. 

Indiana’s quest for glory is anything but over. 

“It’s a long season,” Yeagley said. “Just reshape the focus, and once we do that, then we’ll be fine.” 

Follow reporters Elakai Anela (elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer and matfuent@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer season.