IU men’s soccer coach Todd Yeagley will have plenty of decisions to make — 10 of them to be exact — on Aug. 30 when the Hoosiers kick off their regular season at home against the University of Pittsburgh.
Following a semifinal loss in the 2018 College Cup to the eventual National Champions Maryland, IU enters the 2019 season looking to replace 10 outgoing starters from last season.
Enter the Hoosiers’ 2019 recruiting class.
Headlined by a trio of four-star freshmen, the incoming 14-man class is ranked No. 2 in the nation, according to Top Drawer Soccer. Both forwards Victor Bezerra and Joshua Penn figure to challenge for playing time immediately, while Quinten Helmer adds to an already talented group of midfielders.
Penn, the No. 12 recruit in the 2019 class by Top Draw Soccer, arrives to Bloomington as one of the most-heralded freshman that the Hoosiers have seen in years. Already having been named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Freshman Preseason Best XI squad, there’s a good possibility Penn finds his name penciled into the starting lineup Aug. 30.
Another crucial piece to IU’s recruiting class comes in the form of senior midfielder Joris Ahlinvi, who transferred from Florida International University this past summer. A two-time First Team All-Conference USA selection, Ahlinvi looks to provide a veteran presence to what will likely be a young and inexperienced core, in addition to much-needed playmaking on the offensive side.
“(Ahlinvi) brings a wealth of experience after playing three seasons with a very good and well-coached FIU team,” Yeagley said. “His ability to unbalance off the dribble, elite athleticism and overall attacking creativity will provide an immediate impact next fall.”
If the additions of Bezerra, Penn, Helmer and Ahlinvi aren’t enough to shore up the Hoosiers’ losses on offense, freshman midfielder Aidan Morris represents another young weapon that the Hoosiers will have at their disposal. Morris, a member of the U.S. U-18 men’s national team, is ranked No. 61 in Top Drawer Soccer's IMG Academy top-150 players.
On the defensive side of the field, sophomore Jack Maher, IU’s lone returning starter, could find himself leading a back line consisting of freshmen Brett Bebej and Andrew Goldsworthy and senior Simon Waever. Though Waever’s experience gives the University of Evansville transfer a sizable advantage over the newcomers, the battle for defensive minutes shows no signs of slowing down throughout the season.
Taking over in net for former IU goalkeeper and All-American Trey Muse will be senior Sean Caulfield, but freshman goalie Roman Celentano has the talent to push for minutes if an injury were to occur.
While it’s unlikely that Yeagley trots out a majority freshman starting lineup to begin the season against Pittsburgh, the competitiveness of fall training camp only aids in IU’s quest to create depth and develop its next wave of program cornerstones.
Reassembling a team bereft of 10 returning starters won’t make life easy, especially in the Big Ten, but if anybody has the resources and talent to do so, it’s the Hoosiers.
“There are programs out there that have a wonderful pool of talent but don’t necessarily have a culture within the team that you’re able to find a balance in the roles,” Yeagley said. “That, I think, is a strength of our program.”
