Indy Eleven Inks Five Players to USL Academy Contracts for Start of 2023 Campaign

March 7, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release

INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven continued to stock its roster with players from the club’s championship-winning Academy program with today’s official announcement that five players – goalkeepers Cayden Crawford and Hayden Vostal, midfielder Diego Sanchez, and forwards Benji Chavarria and Luca Iaccino – will begin the 2023 season under USL Academy contracts.

The Indianapolis native Sanchez has returned to the Eleven’s first team roster for a third campaign in the midfield, while Iaccino (Inverness, Ill.) and Vostal (Geneva, Ill.) have come back for their second seasons. Crawford (Columbus, Ohio) and Chavarria (Elkhart, Ind.) will make their debuts on the Eleven’s men’s first team roster as Academy signings in 2023.

Since 2019, Indy Eleven has now signed 19 players to USL Academy contracts, continuing the club’s standing as one of the premier player development destinations in the USL Championship. The five Academy players need not look far for inspiration when it comes to what can come of the experience, as Eleven Academy “graduate” midfielder Alann Torres will begin his second season with Indiana’s Team, one year after cutting his teeth as a rookie on loan with USL League One side Forward Madison FC in 2022.

“We’re excited to have these five young men bring their skills, energy, and hungry mindsets to our first team,” said Indy Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry. “All of them have been around either the professional team or our Academy teams for a while now, so they know the expectations we have and the way we want to play. We are confident in the quality they bring, know they’ll be ready when their numbers are called, and look forward to continuing to help their development.”

In joining Indy Eleven as USL Academy contract signings all players will retain their NCAA eligibility. Chavarria recently committed to play for Loyola University Chicago starting with the Ramblers’ 2024 season.

Of the three returnees, Sanchez is the only one to have made his professional debut, which he crossed off the list by coming off the substitute’s bench in last year’s regular season finale at Birmingham Legion FC on Oct. 12. After signing with the squad on the cusp of the 2022 season opener last March Iaccino was ruled out of action for most of the season due to injury, while Vostal was a late-season addition to the first team on Aug. 18.

Both Sanchez and Chavarria were members of the Indy Eleven…