As students rest on Labor Day without classes, No. 6 Indiana men’s soccer is set for its final early season nonconference match against the University of Denver on Monday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The match is the second leg of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, after the Hoosiers downed California Polytechnic State University 2-0 Friday night.
About the Pioneers:
Coming off a 12-win campaign and a second round NCAA Tournament appearance last season, Denver received votes in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll and ranked third in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches' poll.
However, this season started off like the mountain range the university sits in: rocky.
Denver started the season 1-3-1, with the Pioneers recently picking up their first win of the season over the University of Tulsa on Friday. In the match, Denver produced a season-high three goals — scored by three different players — while also producing its first clean sheet of the season behind a stifling backline and two saves from freshman goalkeeper Alex Hohl.
The win followed two shutout losses to California Baptist University and UCLA to end August. Denver started the season with a 2-2 draw to Cal Poly after junior defender Charlie Hogan provided an 89th-minute goal for the Mustangs.
The early season play from Denver has been inconsistent for 12th-year head coach Jamie Franks’ history with the team. In his previous 11 seasons, the Pioneers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 times and most recently, made the College Cup in 2024.
The defense has plagued Denver to start the season, as 10 goals allowed from the Pioneers is the third-most in the WCC. Hohl leads the conference with 21 saves, but his .677 save percentage is eighth best.
With junior defender and captain Grant Lund anchoring the Denver’s backline, the Pioneers have given up eight or more shots in every game this season. Denver gave up a season-high 32 shots against Stanford on Aug. 23, before allowing 19 and 27 shots in its next two matches, respectively.
Fifth-year forward Bryce Willoughby is Denver’s only multi-goal scorer, tallying one goal against both Stanford and Tulsa.
As Indiana received three players on TopDrawerSoccer’s preseason top 100 players list, Denver fifth-year winger Kyle McGowan was ranked 13th on the list. However, last season’s Summit League Offensive Player of the Year has only produced three shots and none on goal in 2026.
Defending Bill Armstrong Stadium
With over 3,000 fans packing the stands at Bill Armstrong Stadium in each match this season, Indiana has produced results for the Cream and Crimson faithful.
“I mean, having (the fans) show out every home game is awesome,” fifth-year midfielder Wes Carnevale said after Cal Poly on Sept. 4. “The support throughout the entire game is amazing. It lifts us up. ... Hopefully we can pack every home game and keep the home streak alive.”
Four games. Four wins.
But the four victories on Jerry Yeagley Field have come in many different forms. Three-goal offensive spectacles against the University of Notre Dame and the University of Evansville, compared to a more defensive showdown against Butler University, the Hoosiers can pick up results any way the game dictates.
In the two-goal victory over Cal Poly, the Hoosiers started the match with a score in the 2nd minute before putting another goal into the back of the net in the 31st minute.
The early tally came from the right foot of senior forward Oliver Moller-Jensen. With Indiana showing clinical precision at home, Moller-Jensen has been a key part of those wins. The 5-foot-9 winger has scored four goals this season. Moller-Jensen's only goalless home game was against Butler, but the player still produced a team-high 11 shots.
Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Michal Mroz and the Hoosiers’ backline have only surrendered four shots on goal twice this season. One of the season-high marks came against Cal Poly, as the Mustangs offered dangerous offensive chances.
However, quick reactions from Mroz — plus a goal-line save from junior defender Nick McHenry in the 44th minute — kept Cal Poly out of the back of the net.
“We also brought in a lot of different styles, which I think is important because the Big Ten has some different styles as well,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said after the Cal Poly match. “...We got to get results in the nonconference.”
Indiana and Denver are set to kick off at 8 p.m. on Monday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Coverage will be provided by B1G+.
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 season.
