The Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Soccer team had a very successful, yet highly volatile, 2025 season. I’d venture to guess that many staff members and players would say that 2025’s ending did not meet their expectations as a program. Despite being ranked as the #1 team in the country at a point in 2025, receiving the #6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and beating elite programs at many moments throughout the season, the Hoosiers also missed out on the Big Ten Tournament, lost or drew against teams they probably should have beaten, had an away record of 3-4, and fell in the NCAA Tournament to St. Louis in the Hoosiers’ opening game of the postseason.
Now, Indiana enters the 2026 season with some roster turnover, marquee upcoming matchups, and continued high expectations for the most successful men’s soccer program in the country.
Indiana lost their best player in Palmer Ault, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy (soccer’s Heisman trophy), to both graduation and Major League Soccer, where he signed with St. Louis City SC. They also lost freshman standout Colton Swan to the pro ranks, as he is now tearing it up for the USL-Championship side Charleston Battery and is one of the best forwards in the league. That is some significant attacking power lost by the Hoosiers year over year, so Coach Todd Yeagley and staff did what every college coach now does; he went to the portal.
Indiana brought in the following players from the transfer portal:
-Westin Carnevale, a graduate transfer midfielder from Cornell.
-Oliver Moller-Jensen, a senior forward from FAU.
-Stephane Njike, a junior forward from Maryland. Per iuhoosiers.com, Njike may very well be the best transfer attacker in the portal, possibly filling the Palmer Ault-shaped hole left in this Hoosiers squad.
-Alex Matthews, a graduate transfer midfielder from Missouri State who was named Derby County’s (English pro soccer) academy player of the year in 2019.
-Nick McHenry, a junior defender from Ohio State.
-Michal Mroz, a junior goalkeeper from Evansville.
-Bennett Painter, a senior forward from Bowling Green.
-Grant Paskus, a junior midfielder from NIU.
You can sense a theme with all of these players. All are supremely talented (I could have written paragraphs on each of them with their accolades) and bring a wealth of experience, as the youngest players of the transfer class are juniors.
Additionally, there are five new freshmen added to the ranks. They are:
-Michael Adu-Gyamfi, a forward from Accra, Ghana.
-Sam Hess, a defender from Naperville, Illinois.
-Ryan Hunsucker, a goalkeeper from Westfield, Indiana.
-Dempsey Resich, a forward from Palos Verdes, California.
-Vincent Uglow, a defender from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
On top of these additions, Indiana returns a large crop of players from last year’s team. As these elite returning players combine with the skill, upside, and talent of the new 13 players coming in across transfers and freshmen recruiting, the Hoosiers are primed to field a team that can compete with anyone in the country.
The #22 ranked Indiana Hoosiers begin play at home in a marquee rivalry matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on August 20th. These games between IU and Notre Dame always seem to be intense, close, and down to the wire. You are not going to want to miss it. In addition, the Hoosiers host the defending national champion Washington Huskies on September 18th in Bloomington. Beyond that, Indiana faces a similar Big Ten slate along with an admittedly less rigorous non-conference schedule compared to recent years – which might be a good thing. This all culminates, of course, with a potential bid to the NCAA Tournament once again, which will take place in late November.
Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana soccer – and Indiana sports in general – all season long. Go Hoosiers!
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