The 2025 season looks to be one of transition for the USI Men’s soccer team, as the team features seven incoming transfers and 14 true freshmen coming into the program. While some could see this with glasses of uncertainty, I am not one of those individuals. In my opinion, a significant rebuild to the roster and team culture is likely a move in the right direction, as the team as a whole has been stagnant in their first couple of seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. Of course, when shaking a roster’s complexion up, there must be some sort of blueprint and vision for the team. Otherwise, you’re just throwing darts at the board and hoping for a couple of hits. 

One notable trend for this year’s freshman class is the origin of many of the players debuting at Strassweg Field. Four of the freshman recruiting class are graduates of the Indy Eleven Academy, which has produced 37 professional soccer players, three former United States women’s national team players and a dozen collegiate players annually. 

Additionally, USI has signed the freshman twin duo of Jimmy Murphy, forward and Tony Murphy, midfielder, who both played for the Forge National Futsal Team in Madison, Wisconsin, winning national championships in 2023 and 2024. Futsal, for those who may not know, is a variant of soccer, featuring five players on each side, on a smaller indoor court. It’s a game of pace, as opposed to the slow, methodical approach to 11v11. Perhaps this duo could bring a change of pace to the squad and make them less predictable. 

With all of those changes, the team still has some solid core pieces intact from last year’s team. Standout freshmen from last year, David Davila, forward and Ahiro Nakamae, midfielder, return as key pieces to the squad. Davila, in particular, with a solid improvement this past summer, could pair nicely in a striking partnership with Jackson Mitchell, junior forward, who led the team in points, goals and assists last season. Pablo Juan, junior midfielder, made an immediate impact during his freshman season and looks to replicate that production this season as a central midfielder, after a bit of an inconsistent season last year. Will Kirchofer, junior midfielder, was one of the most used players last season, playing the third most minutes, excluding goalkeepers. Kirchofer will likely play a crucial role in the midfield this season, especially early on, as the new players get acclimated to the tactics the team plays. 

Looking towards the future, USI has a strong non-conference schedule to prepare them for the OVC schedule. They face off against Louisville University in their season opener, which will be the toughest matchup of their season. They also play Indiana University-Indianapolis and Green Bay, which will be tough competition. Naturally, they play the crosstown rival, University of Evansville, in the Mayor’s Cup this year at home. Last season, they lost by a score of 3-1, an improvement on 2023, which saw them go scoreless. For conference play, USI is picked to finish eighth in the conference.