The youth movement is in full effect in Bloomington. At least, at Jerry Yeagley Field, it is.
IU enters the 2017 season looking to replace former midfielder Tanner Thompson, fill voids at goalkeeper and in the wide positions and provide depth to the squad as a whole. Coach Todd Yeagley went out and brought in the fourth-best recruiting class in the country, according to Top Drawer Soccer.
Those young players provided quality minutes as the Hoosiers earned a 3-1 win against the Xavier Musketeers in the first exhibition match of the season.
“We got a lot of guys minutes tonight, that was one of the goals, just to get them to feel what it’s like to play on this field with a crowd,” Yeagley said. “We’re seeing where some of these players can fit for us. I’m really pleased overall where we are at this point.”
The medium-sized crowd that took in the exhibition match at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Monday night saw new faces on the pitch. Yet, the new faces provided excitement.
Freshman forwards Mason Toye and Thomas Warr left an impression, along with freshman midfielder Griffin Dorsey and freshman goalkeeper Jacob Gruber, who played the full 90 minutes. Gruber said he knew he’d get to play 45 minutes coming in, with a possibility of another 45 minutes.
Warr may have left the biggest impression of the night by scoring his first goal as a Hoosier. Dorsey struck a ball from outside the 18-yard box, and Warr happened to be in the right place at the right time to redirect it in. Yeagley said it was nice to see the two freshmen connect.
“It just kind of happened,” Warr said of the goal. “Everyone’s still working each other out, it’s not just a freshman thing. Luckily I got on the end of his shot, good bounce and it went in.”
Warr got the start for the Hoosiers and alternated minutes with Toye. Dorsey played the majority of the match as well. Yeagley said he was pleased with all of their performances because they can all bring something different to the team.
Warr, Toye and Dorsey are all in positions that have returning upperclassman players. It's Gruber who is vying for a spot where there isn't a returning starter.
“It’s hard because coming in as a freshman you want to get right into it,” Gruber said. “There’s a lot of guys who are good. Everyone’s fantastic, we push each other every day for that starting spot.”
The squad, like last year, will be competitive to find starting spots. That's what Yeagley said he wants to happen. Warr and Gruber both said the competition within the group is intense.
There will be the usual names of senior defender Grant Lillard, junior left back Andrew Gutman and junior midfielder Trevor Swartz to name a few, but don’t be surprised to see a few new names in the mix throughtout the season.
“It’s early, but I think there will be several that have big roles,” Yeagley said of the freshmen.
