COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jerry Yeagley got the send-off he was hoping for.
Indiana scored twice in four minutes to beat St. John's 2-1 Sunday, delivering the retiring Yeagley his sixth NCAA soccer championship.
"I've been trying not to think about me. This is about this team. Maybe in a few days I'll collect myself," Yeagley said.
In a game that ended under a steady snowfall, Ned Grabavoy scored on a free kick in the 16th minute, and Jacob Peterson made it 2-0 in the 20th for the eighth-seeded Hoosiers.
"To get on the board first in a championship game is very huge for our team to get our confidence going," Grabavoy said.
Yeagley started Indiana's varsity soccer program in 1973, and he leaves with more victories and a higher winning percentage than any other men's college soccer coach. He led the Hoosiers to 16 appearances in the College Cup.
With 1:30 left in the game, Yeagley sat Buddha-like on the empty bench, wearing a serene smile on his weathered face. As time expired, he calmly shook hands with St. John's coach Dave Masur before walking on the field and being engulfed by a mob of his exultant players.
"I did have the strangest feeling after the game was over . . . it was almost like a surreal type experience," Yeagley said.
St. John's, playing in its first NCAA final since winning the 1996 title, scored with 12 minutes left. Tim O'Neill sent a pass across the penalty box to Chris Corcoran, who volleyed the ball toward the goal. Ashley Kozicki knocked it in from 6 yards.
Trying to send the game into overtime, St. John's took a variety of desperation shots in the last 10 minutes on a field covered by an icy, white blanket.
"I was getting a little nervous because everything was starting to get wet and they were just starting to pump balls into the box," Indiana goalkeeper Jay Nolly said.
The steady snow made a soggy field even more slick, causing players to slip and fall throughout the game.
Before kickoff, a tractor and dozens of people, including Crew Stadium general manager Mark McCullers and Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew general manager Jim Smith, used rakes and shovels to clear away the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight. Three-foot snowbanks lined one side of the field.
Indiana was awarded a free kick after Peterson was taken down by Chris Leidner while making a run for the goal. Peterson had no one between him and the goal when he was fouled.
On the free kick, Grabavoy set up from 18 yards out across from the middle of the goal. The shot bent right, over six St. John's players and into the bottom right corner of the goal.
It was 2-0 four minutes later, as Peterson got the ball at midfield and broke free from Jeff Carroll, who slipped while turning downfield. Peterson dashed toward the goal and unleashed a shot from 18 yards, splitting defenders Chris Wingert and O'Neill.
The ball went under the arm of diving goalie Bill Gaudette and into the bottom left corner.