Ahead of this week's Horizon League Tournament, read how the Jaguars have relied heavily on some young faces so far this season... 

On Sept. 13, 2022, the IUPUI Jaguars men's soccer team matched up against the Loyola Ramblers. As the starting lineups were announced, IUPUI' coaching staff did something unheard of in program history: they trotted seven freshmen onto the field.

 At the outset of this year's Horizon League tournament, five of those freshmen were still starting – a move emblematic of the Jaguars' youth revolution.

Head coach Sid van Druenen was hired in February of this year, six months before the beginning of the upcoming season. After having coached in America for 10 years, including as an assistant at Horizon League rival Wright State for four seasons, he was eager to finally land a head coaching job at a Division I school.

As opposed to normally having over a year to build a recruiting class for the team, van Druenen had just a few months to bring on new players.

Faced with daunting odds to fill out the roster, the goal for coach van Druenen and his staff was this: "Let's get the best players we possibly can."

The Jaguars utilized the transfer window and added 15 new players, over 50% of their current roster. Including redshirts, there are 14 freshmen with a spot on the squad. Of those, 11 have seen playing time this season.

The results have already been drastic.

In last year's 3-12-1 campaign, IUPUI scored only seven goals in 16 matches, with then sophomore forward Logan Finnegan netting a team high three goals. In 18 games this season, the Jaguars have put up 28 goals already.

Freshman forward Josemir Gomez leads the Jaguars with a  team-high nine goals and the Jaguars currently hold a 6-6-6 record, already bettering their record from last season. Of those 28 goals, 15 have been scored by freshmen.

The infusion of young players and more offensive-minded approach the team has shown so far is a purposeful tactic from van Druenen and the coaching staff.

Concerning play style, van Druenen said, "We can play in a way that we try not to lose, right? But we said, no, if we can have 10 freshmen finish the year with significant minutes, those freshmen next year are going to have way more value than if we just play and try not to lose."

While the team has just barely reached the .500 mark this year, van Druenen is content with the outcomes.

"I'm fully aware the results matter," van Druenen said. "So we have not changed anything we do because of youthfulness. And honestly, it's probably cost us some points because we've made some youthful mistakes. My hope is that we can learn from them."

Junior forward Logan Finnegan has also noticed a big difference in play style from the team.

"We're very attacking-minded versus in the past," Finnegan said. "And with these new guys they've definitely influenced it a lot."

However, with new players and play styles comes adaptation from those currently on the roster who must learn how to operate with new teammates.

Finnegan, as the team captain and last year's leading goal scorer, has seen his own style of play change with the freshmen.

"I originally came in as a defensive mid, and then slowly moved my way towards the front," Finnegan said. " It was different from what I was used to. Playing with new guys, there might be minor tweaks, just getting used to people – their strong-foot and their favorite move."

Not only have upper classmen had to adapt to the younger players, but freshmen and new players to the team have had to change their pace of play to fit in with their teammates. And some have had to change how they think about the sport altogether.

Freshman defender Edgar Correia had his first experience playing Division I soccer in America.

Hailing from Famalicão, Portugal, Correia is one of four international players on the roster, three of whom are freshman. He had never been to America before, much less played in the United States. He was a member of SC Braga's U19 team and Palmeiras FC's U17 team, which have given him considerably more experience playing at a high level than most his age.

"The game here, it's faster, we like running more," Correia said. "In Europe, we have the ball, we want to keep the ball. Here, when we win the ball, we think, 'Oh, score again, fast!'"

Van Druenen has likewise noted a difference in how the game is played, having coached in Europe himself for many years, including at CDR Quarteirense in Portugal.

"In Europe, in general, the game is a little bit more brutal, a little slower, a bit more tactical, more technically cleaner," van Druenen said. "Here, it's so high energy and intense. Every athlete is a true athlete, they're all fast and strong. In Europe, you can get away with it if you're a little smaller in size. Here, that's harder, just how the game is."

The biggest difference though, according to coach van Druenen, is in mentality.

"That never give up mentality that the American athlete has, that's something that I think Europe and the rest of the world can learn from," van Druenen said. "There, if you're up 2-0 with 20 minutes to go, it's probably game over. And here, it's never over. So I think that is also the biggest adjustment for European players coming here. There's no easy games, you can be up 5-0, and it's still high, intense, and you know, the team is still chasing, and they're still playing for pride. "In some cases, upperclassmen might become upset that freshmen players are taking up valuable minutes and lineup spots that they feel should belong to more experienced players.

The Jaguars, however, have worked hard to ensure that isn't the case.

"You would think that would happen," says Finnegan. "Even I was expecting it to be honest with you, it's just human nature. But there hasn't been any backlash, and I'm really proud of that," he said. "Even for the people who might not be getting the minutes they want or playing at all, they still know that their role is just as important. It's really cool when people are selfless, and they work hard because they know they're a part of something bigger than themselves. I think this is the closest we've been as a team since I've been here."

Van Druenen attributes most of this to the competitive atmosphere the team and his staff have worked to foster.

"You have to create a competitive environment, and if you're already making a decision on who's going to play based on years or experience, you're never going to have that," van Druenen said. "And the older guys, they're mature enough to understand what we're trying to do, and they've been phenomenal."

With all this young freshman talent already playing competitively against some of the best teams in the Horizon League, the Jaguars are excited about the future.

"The ceiling is just so high," Finnegan said. "Even this season, I think we can make a deep run in the playoffs, and maybe change some opinions on us. In future years, I see no reason why we're not winning a ring or two."