There was no shortage of dynamic scoring weapons for Indiana men’s soccer last season.
Yet, for all the speed and elusiveness of senior Sam Sarver and sophomore Collins Oduro — and the steady play of fifth-year senior Maouloune Goumballe — the Hoosiers finished the season 92nd in the country in goals per match with 1.46.
It evidently didn’t hinder head coach Todd Yeagley’s squad from postseason success, but the lack of goal scoring was curious given the team’s talent up front. In Northwestern graduate transfer Justin Weiss, the Hoosiers may have found a solution.
Weiss played his freshman season at Colgate University before spending the last three years with the Wildcats, and he blossomed into one of the Big Ten’s most potent attackers. Last season, Weiss led the conference in assists with seven, and his seven goals ranked third behind Sarver and Penn State’s Peter Mangione.
The first-team All-Big Ten honoree did much of his damage inside the box, using his composure to navigate tight spaces and weave around defenders for second-chance opportunities. Weiss doesn’t have particularly imposing size, standing at just 5-foot-9 but still operates primarily as a central attacker.
With shifty “imbalancers,” as Yeagley referred to Sarver, Oduro and senior Tommy Mihalic, Weiss offers an intriguing complementary presence. And arriving with a wealth of experience, he provides a veteran voice for an Indiana team rich with new, young faces.
“He’s a leader, he’s a great kid,” Yeagley said. “An absolute wonderful get. The guys love him, it feels like he’s been here three years.”
Another gear to be unlocked for Sarver
It’s often difficult to miss Sarver on the pitch. The 2023 third-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten selection darts around like his beach-blonde hair is on fire, and he turned in his most productive season as a junior last year.
His eight goals and six assists were both career-highs, and many of his contributions came in clutch moments. Yeagley has deployed Sarver both as a central striker and winger, and his motor coupled with tireless defensive efforts bode well for him on the outside.
In fact, Yeagley said Sarver may be best suited as a defender if he pursues a professional career.
“He’s become a player you can count on defensively,” Yeagley said. “For him to have an opportunity at the next level, it could be as a wingback.”
Off the field, Sarver is regarded as one of the team’s wittiest and most lively personalities. Yeagley said there is still room for Sarver to mature and mend his on-field inconsistencies with an eye toward improving granular details like his sleep and diet.
While Sarver’s future in the sport may be in an entirely different role, the Hoosiers will continue to rely on his playmaking ability in the final third this season. However, he’s still not quite as clinical a finisher as Yeagley hoped.
Still, if Sarver can continue to evolve as a more complete forward, and establish consistent combinations with Weiss, Oduro and Mihalic, Indiana’s attack could be overwhelming.
Potential underclassmen contributors
With Goumballe and Karsen Henderlong graduated, Indiana lost a pair of physical, hold-up style strikers who excelled near the goal. Weiss plays quite a bit centrally, and junior Luka Bezerra is capable of occupying that spot, but the Hoosiers are searching for options more in the mold of Goumballe and Henderlong.
“It’s more of who can fill positional or situational roles,” Yeagley said. “Maouloune and Karsen were very good with their back to goal — who could give us that at times if we need that play? We’ll have to see who can develop there.”
Redshirt freshman Lucas Wolthers is a player Yeagley lauded in the spring and could serve in that role. Wolthers looks the part at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds and played with Nashville SC Academy before joining the Hoosiers.
Yeagley said in April redshirting Wolthers was a difficult decision and thought he could’ve been utilized during the regular season, and the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native hopes to carve out some playing time in 2024.
Sophomore Clay Murador appeared in 16 games last year without a scoring contribution, but he still earned minutes in NCAA Tournament games against Wake Forest University and the University of Notre Dame.
Yeagley mentioned freshmen Michael Nesci and Easton Bogard as additional players that could create roles off the bench. Nesci was rated as the No. 25 forward in the 2024 class by Top Drawer Soccer and played for Chicago Fire Academy alongside Bogard.
It’s unclear where players like Wolthers, Nesci and Bogard currently stand on the depth chart, but the Hoosiers’ upcoming preseason contests should paint a clearer picture.
Indiana faces Bowling Green State University at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Westfield, Indiana, to begin exhibition play before traveling to Louisville on Saturday for a matchup with the Cardinals.
