For the second consecutive season, Indiana men’s soccer is on the hunt for another starting goalkeeper.
Graduate Holden Brown and freshman Judewellin Michel were the Hoosiers’ goalkeeping duo last season. However, Brown exhausted his eligibility at the end of the season, and Michel transferred to Big Ten foe Wisconsin in May.
The departure of both starting goalkeepers left the position open for newcomers between the sticks. Last season, Indiana finished sixth in the 11-team Big Ten Conference with 1.32 goals against per game and held five clean sheets — only one of which came during conference play — at a 71.6% save percentage.
The Hoosiers racked up 46 goals throughout their 19-game season, ranking second in the Big Ten, but teams with stout defenses can advance far in the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana was on the opposite side of the coin during its 1-0 loss to Saint Louis University in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The Hoosiers attempted 13 more shots and two more on goal than the Billikens, but Saint Louis’ one shot on target found the back of the net.
But head coach Todd Yeagley knows the importance of a good keeper throughout his 16 seasons in Bloomington, especially when the starter has already made a name for himself in the college ranks.
Mroz starts the season as the No. 1 choice
Junior Michal Mroz spent his previous two seasons at the University of Evansville, becoming one of the top goalkeepers in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Coming out of Elk Grove High School in Illinois, Mroz immediately made an impact with the Purple Aces. The 6-foot-2 netminder started all 21 matches as a freshman, recording a 1.55 goals against average and posting five clean sheets. His 4.10 saves per game mark ranked second in the Missouri Valley.
Mroz was a key piece for Evansville’s run to the NCAA Tournament, as the Purple Aces defeated Bowling Green State University before bowing out to the University of Massachusetts Amherst in their first postseason appearance since 1996.
After a first-year campaign that landed Mroz on the Missouri Valley All-Freshman team, the keeper continued to improve his play during the 2025 season.
Mroz lowered his goals against average to 0.95, while posting a .750 save percentage. He also recorded six clean sheets and made 57 saves in 20 games, earning him the Missouri Valley Goalkeeper of the Year award.
The numbers jumped out to Yeagley, and now Mroz will start for one of the nation’s premier collegiate soccer programs.
“We know what his quality is about,” Yeagley said during a press conference Aug. 4. “He is already proven to be a very high-end collegiate keeper with a professional ability [in the] past.”
His quality even caught the eye of professional scouts, as Mroz was taken with the 83rd pick in the 2026 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Minnesota United FC. Mroz opted out of the MLS development pipeline and instead joined the Hoosiers out of the transfer portal in January.
“But certainly, Michal Mroz is coming in as we would call a penciled number one at this junction,” Yeagley said.
Questions remain about the depth chart
Behind Mroz, Indiana’s backup keeper is less clear, according to Yeagley. Last season, the Hoosiers employed a two-keeper setup, as Michel started Indiana’s opener and four other matches in October.
Brown started the other 14 matches, but the opportunity may arise for a goalkeeper further down the depth chart to see playing time for a multitude of reasons. The question now falls to who the backup would be.
Three other goalkeepers have strong cases for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but strong fall practices and exhibition performances can decide the ever-changing backup goalkeeper position.
Redshirt senior Cooper Johnsen provides Yeagley with an experienced player in the Indiana system. However, Johnsen’s downside is a lack of game experience in college. Throughout his three playing seasons, Johnsen hasn’t seen the field once.
Redshirt sophomore AJ Piela transferred to Indiana before last season but redshirted his true sophomore campaign. Piela knows Yeagley’s system, but in this case, he has collegiate experience. At the University of Louisville in 2024, Piela started 10 matches and recorded one clean sheet.
“He's had a really good spring, and we're excited to see how he does,” Yeagley said. “He had a good summer. Had a good performance with his team in Florida. He needed games.”
While Piela has collegiate experience, freshman Ryan Hunsucker was a top recruit out of Indiana. The Westfield native won the USL Academy League Finals at the Indy Eleven Academy in 2024, where he made 11 saves and captured Golden Glove honors in back-to-back years.
Hunsucker can be a viable option for the backup keeper position, but with players in front of him with more college experience, Yeagley might choose to develop the 6-foot netminder in his first collegiate season.
With another exhibition match against Loyola University Chicago on Indiana’s schedule before the start of the 2026 season, Yeagley can figure out the goalkeeping quality of his squad.
The Hoosiers start the regular season against the University of Notre Dame at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Aug. 20, giving Indiana chances to produce early nonconference victories with a new-look roster.
Follow reporters Noah Boudouris (@noahboudouris and nboudour@iu.edu) and Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s soccer offseason.
