Holden Brown’s recovery has been long.
He’ll say it himself.
An ACL tear has kept the graduate student goalkeeper out of competitive soccer for nearly two years. His arrival to Indiana from the University of Virginia in 2024 meant competition for former Hoosier JT Harms, but the recovery from surgery traveled into spring 2025, leaving Brown without a minute of competitive action in almost a year and a half.
It was a drastic change, considering Brown played every minute of his sophomore and junior seasons with the Cavaliers.
The Hoosiers were cautious with Brown in the spring matches. He felt healthy to play, but the staff didn’t want him to, leaving him without any 11v11 action coming into the fall. No training either from his coaches over the summer, a rule he finds “stupid,” left Brown waiting until preseason to return to 100%.
But once he did, there was no turning back.
“You just have to get the rhythm of playing 11’s again, and once that comes in, it all just comes back,” Brown said. “It’s like riding a bike.”
It’s been a positive development for No. 4 Indiana men’s soccer that its goalkeeper, a homegrown Hoosier, has found his confidence. Just look at Wednesday’s 1-0 win over No. 16 Saint Louis University at Bill Armstrong Stadium — a match that, without Brown, might have looked a little different.
One sequence in the second half showcased Brown’s importance in net. A point-blank effort from sophomore forward Jackson Delkus seemed poised to nestle into the bottom corner, but the 6-foot-4 Brown dropped to the ground in a flash, parrying the ball to safety.
Moments later, chaos ensued. A tangle of bodies in the box fought for a shot or a clearance. Brown reached and grabbed while sprawled out, hoping to get a hold of the ball.
Yet the danger continued as sophomore forward Andrew Heckenlaible nearly leveled the game with a thunderous shot off the post. Only once Indiana cleared the ball 13 seconds later could Hoosier fans and players let out a collective gasp.
“Oh man, it’s crazy, isn’t it?” Brown said about the scramble. “It’s just like so much going on. You’re just trying to find the ball, that’s the situation. And once you find it, you’re just trying to get on it.”
It wouldn’t be the last time Brown’s name was called upon.
As Saint Louis again entered the attack half a minute later, this time with freshman forward Theo Franca, redshirt junior defender Breckin Minzey did his best to defend the Billiken. Yet Franca still got a shot off, and Brown managed to block it away for his fourth save of the night.
Saint Louis’ onslaught continued for the next 25 minutes, but Brown didn't add an additional save to his tally. The Zionsville, Indiana, native didn’t need to.
That is, until the final match whistle blew. A looping, desperate heave from the Billikens landed right into Brown’s hands as time expired — a fitting end to a match largely secured thanks to the same gloves that caught the ball.
Brown and Indiana’s backline have now gone 268 minutes without conceding a goal. He earned recognition as Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday, following a stretch that included a clean sheet and four saves against then-No. 14 Oregon State University on Aug. 31 and two saves against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Aug. 28.
Still, Brown is quick to credit his defenders for the success rather than himself.
“They do a lot of work,” Brown said. “They do a lot more running than me. They do a lot more defending than me. If my number gets called, then it gets called, and I’ll try to make a save for them.”
Brown’s impact for Indiana wasn’t always a guarantee. Freshman Judewellin Michel earned the nod for the opening game against No. 3 Clemson on Aug. 21, but Brown cracked the starting lineup against the University of San Francisco on Aug. 24 — and he hasn’t left it since.
The tough battle for the top position, which included split time in Indiana’s two preseason matches, could have fostered animosity between Brown and Michel. But the veteran was quick to note that there’s only been love between the two.
“Jude’s an awesome goalie; he’s an even better person,” Brown said. “He hugs us all, he says good morning five times. He’s amazing. I have nothing but good things to say about him.”
Brown’s role is likely locked up for the foreseeable future, given the scoreless run and the confident, steady play. But even if it isn’t, and Michel returns to that starting role, Brown isn’t flustered.
At the end of the day, he’s a Hoosier playing for the Hoosiers. When his number is called, he knows he’ll deliver the best performance he can.
After all, he’s waited nearly two years to do so.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer and matfuent@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men's soccer season.
