DiPrimio: ‘Tremendous Progress’ – No. 11 IU Aims for No. 9 Clemson in Soccer Opener
8/19/2025 9:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The media spotlight finds forward Palmer Ault standing on the edge of Armstrong Stadium's Jerry Yeagley Field. Behind him the scoreboard showcases the Indiana men's soccer exhibition victory over Louisville. Behind that, dark clouds light up from an approaching thunderstorm.
For Ault, a senior transfer from Butler with enormous scoring promise, it's his first opportunity to be part of a potential Hoosier juggernaut.
"The progress we've made is tremendous," he says.
IU dominated exhibition opponents Western Michigan (another preseason top 20 team) and Louisville in the last week. The Broncos' physical style and strong restart ability, combined with Louisville's talent and speed, were good preparation for what the No. 11 Hoosiers will face Thursday night when they open the season by hosting No. 9 Clemson at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Coach Todd Yeagley calls them "comprehensive performances." Ault says it reflects Indiana's depth and ability to "work well as a collective."
"You couldn't ask for a better result in the first two preseason games," Ault says, "so we have to carry it into the season. Clemson will be no easy match. We played two tough preseason opponents to prepare us for it. We're ready to go."
IU is blending in 10 new players, including six college transfers, with returning standouts such as Collins Oduro, Josh Maher, Jack Wagoner, Alex Barger, Charlie Heuer, Michael Nesci, Breckin Minzey and Clay Murador. It's a heavy turnover load that reflects transfer portal reality and pro soccer opportunity.
Ault, a 21-goal scorer in three seasons at Butler after an All-America high school career at Noblesville near Indianapolis, joins Italy midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi from the University of Evansville, Canadian goalkeeper Judewellin Michel and defender Victor Akoum, defender Ben Do from Penn and midfielder Cristiano Bruletti from Michigan State as difference-making transfers.
Heralded freshman forward Colton Swan, who had a combined 64 goals and 26 assists while playing club ball for Colorado Rapids Academy and Michigan Jags, has also made a strong early impression.
"It's hard," Yeagley says about quickly building team chemistry and timing. "Some of the transfers coming in midyear was helpful.
"Palmer is a great kid. He could adapt to any team. He already knew some of our players. He feels at home. He's an Indiana kid. His acclimation was clean and smooth.
"Getting Jacopo here early was helpful. It's making him feel comfortable. Our older guys do a great job of making the new guys feel welcome. It's quickly holding to the standards that we need."
Soccer, unlike football and basketball, only has two weeks to get ready for the season.
"It's a challenge," Yeagley says, "but with the right locker room and culture, you can get it as organized and efficient as you can in a short amount of time."
The goalkeeper battle to replace standout JT Harms is a two-player race between Michel and Holden Brown, who missed all last season with an injury after earning All-ACC honors at Virginia. Brown started against Western Michigan. Michel started against Louisville.
"It's a good situation for us," Yeagley says. "We knew it could be a battle, and it certainly has been. We haven't always had that, but having it this year is nice."
Yeagley adds he hasn't decided which goalkeeper will start against Clemson or if he'll rotate keepers early on.
"Whoever we put in for Clemson on Thursday will get the job done," he says. "We'll take it one game at a time. The team is confident in all of our goalkeepers."
Clemson, the ACC favorite, returns nine players who were on the 2023 national title team. The Tigers are led by midfielder Ransford Gyan, defender Remi Okunlola, forwards Nathan Richmond and James Kelly, and goalkeeper Joseph Andema.
"It will be a first-class challenge," Yeagley says. "They've got a couple of All-America-level players.
"We hope there's not a seat open. I don't think there's been any better opener that this. They are a blue-blood program."
Like Indiana, Clemson has a long tradition of soccer excellence. It's won four national titles, including in 2021 and '23, and has a pair of national runner-up finishes. The Tigers have appeared in 10 College Cups, soccer's version of the Final Four. IU has eight national championships, nine national runner-up finishes and a record 22 College Cup appearances.
Strong non-conference opponents, especially early on, has been a tradition under Yeagley as it was for the program's two previous coaches, Mike Freitag and Jerry Yeagley.
While it sometimes produces early losses, it steels the Hoosiers for late-season opportunities, including the NCAA tourney.
"Philosophically, our fans expect (strong early home games)," Yeagley says. "You come to Bloomington to play those games.
"I have to make sure we have the right team and experience to handle that schedule. The staff and our players do a great job recruiting. They do a great job on (recruiting) visits explaining what we have here. It might be a guy he'll be fighting with for a position, but they just want to win. They know we need to be deep enough to do that."
In the end, Ault adds, this season's success will come down to "sticking to our principles we work on every day, our defensive shape and our attacking.
"We have a lot of attack-minded players all over the field. We'll be able to create advantages, which we have all over. We have the talent to do so.
"Integrating those new pieces has been free flowing so far. We have to continue to work together."
