December 8, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Indy Eleven News Release
Bradenton, Fla. – The Indy Eleven U20 Academy team used a dominant defense and an opportunistic offense to defeat AC Connecticut, 2-0, in the finals to win the USL Academy League Championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
It is the second championship for the Boys in Blue in the four-year history of the event, with Indy Eleven also earning the 2021 title under current Academy Director and Head Coach Kiki Wallace.
The U20 Boys in Blue finish 2024 with a 12-0-2 record vs. USL Academy competition, the USL Academy Cup championship, and the USL Academy League Finals crown. The team, comprised of 19 players from the state of Indiana, scored 45 goals and allowed a league-low 10 this season, recording seven shutouts.
Defender Jake Alb (Crown Point, Ind.), one of two U17 players for the Boys in Blue in Bradenton, scored the game-winning goal in the championship match on a header from the six off a perfect free kick delivery from midfielder Levi Dewey (Indianapolis, Ind.) in the 47th minute.
Dewey recorded his second assist of the match in the 67th minute on another beautiful pass to forward Victor Aguilar (South Bend, Ind.), who volleyed it home to make it 2-0. Forward Fynn Lahrsen (Indianapolis, Ind.) started the sequence by winning a ball outside the area.
Goalie Ryan Hunsucker (Westfield, Ind.) made 11 saves in the match to record a clean sheet against an AC Connecticut team that had not been shut out in USL Academy play this season after scoring a league-best 46 goals.
Thu. Dec. 5 Indy Eleven def. Southern Soccer Academy (Ga.) 3:3 (4:2)
Fri. Dec. 6 Indy Eleven def. Charlotte Independence 4:0
Sat. Dec. 7 Indy Eleven def. Real Colorado, 3:1 (AET)
Sun. Dec. 8 Indy Eleven def. AC Connecticut, 2:0
Post-Game Quotes
Jake Alb
On winning the USL Academy League Finals
We worked the entire game and the entire tournament. We’re just a team. We’re close. We work as a family. One person always keeps everyone in line. I give a lot of credit to our captain Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind.). He kept us hopeful and right the entire tournament. He helped us get ready for these games. But as a team, we work hard for each other, and we’re a family. When we’re on the field, we work for each other, and that’s how we got the job done.
On following in the footsteps of 2021 USL Academy League Finals winners
We have to give all thanks to them. They started this, and they helped us along the way to know how we [need to]…