Sloane May, a forward from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, flipped her commitment from Michigan to Indiana women’s soccer, according to an Instagram post Feb. 13. May’s decision came after a coaching change at Michigan, Indiana head coach Josh Rife said in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student on Feb. 19.
May, the 2025 United Soccer Coaches National High School Player of the Year, led the Royals to their first IHSAA State Championship in November 2025, finishing her senior season with 15 goals and 17 assists.
“Her soccer ability is pretty clear,” Rife said. “You don’t earn the attention and accolades she has without that being a huge part of it. But what really excites us is the person she is.”
On the field, May’s arrival comes at a pivotal moment for the Hoosiers. Indiana scored 21 goals in 17 matches last season — tied for the third fewest in the Big Ten — during a campaign defined more by defensive structure than scoring output.
Rife was candid about the challenge of improving in the final third.
“Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in soccer,” he said. “It’s always easier to destroy than create.”
May’s versatility, he added, could be key to solving that problem.
She can operate as an attacking midfielder, drive forward from deeper areas, play with her back to goal as a forward or stretch defense from wide positions, Rife said. That positional flexibility gives Indiana options with its lineups.
“When you have someone who can play multiple spots, it allows you to figure out how to get your most exciting players out there and still keep them dangerous,” Rife said.
Her addition also strengthens an incoming class that already includes two of her former Hamilton Southeastern teammates, defender Blair Satterfield and forward Riley Boyd. The trio’s familiarity could fast-track chemistry at the collegiate level.
He noted the genuine enthusiasm within the locker room when May’s commitment became official, a sign — he believes — of a healthy competitive culture.
“Some teams might get nervous when top talent comes in,” Rife said. “But our players were genuinely excited. They want great players around them. That’s been a really good buzz around the program.”
