The spring season is already underway for the Hoosiers, with a number of high-profile matches still to come, including a match against the Mexican Youth National Team.
The Hoosiers played a pair of exhibition matches this past weekend at Mellencamp Pavilion against Xavier and Valparaiso. Both matches were played with nine men a side.
IU next plays Indy Eleven in a closed scrimmage Friday at Mellencamp. The match is closed to the public due to space limitations.
“These matches provide our staff with an opportunity to evaluate our positional depth, as well as experiment with players playing in new roles and positions,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said in a press release. “The quality opponents we face this spring will provide our team with an honest assessment as we prepare for our 2016 fall season.”
The Hoosiers lost both their options at forward for next season, with Femi Hollinger-Janzen drafted by the New England Revolution and Ben Maurey set to graduate in May. His replacements could include sophomore Cory Thomas, who saw time at forward last season, or sophomore Jordan Kleyn, who also played sparingly atop IU’s formation.
Midfielder Matt Foldesy will also need to be replaced. His most likely replacement could be sophomore Rece Buckmaster, who often replaced Foldesy when he was hurt last season and could only play portions of matches.
IU will also play Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in an exhibition April 2 at Bill Armstrong Stadium in a match that is free and open to the public.
The Hoosiers will play Butler in a match April 15 in Westfield, Indiana.
IU also plays its annual spring game against Notre Dame as part of the Shindigz National Soccer Festival on April 19 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ticket information for the entire festival can be found at nationalsoccerfestival.com.
“The quality opponents we face this spring will provide our team with an honest assessment as we prepare for our 2016 fall season,” Yeagley said. “We are also able to play in large crowds on the road up in Indy and Fort Wayne, two great cities that allow our IU alumni to come out and support their IU Soccer team.”
But the highlight of the spring season will be the annual matchup against the Mexican Youth National Team on April 24 at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Tickets prices will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the press release.
This is the 10th meeting between IU and the Mexican Youth National Team, with Mexico leading the all-time series 6-3. Mexico won last season’s matchup by a score of 2-1.
“We are very excited to once host this incredible event here on campus,” Yeagley said. “It’s a big challenge for our team to compete against some of the best young professional players from Mexico. The game day atmosphere is electric and we encourage everyone to come out and enjoy an International match at Armstrong Stadium.”
