LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The IU Indianapolis men's soccer team will kickoff the 2026 campaign on Thursday night (Aug. 20) when the Jaguars take on the University of Louisville inside Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Family Stadium at 6:00 p.m. Thursday's match will be broadcast on ACCNX and marks the head coaching debut of Keegan Boom. 

Boom's squad was recently picked to finish eighth in the #HLMSOC Preseason Polls with Cleveland State earning the top spot. The Jaguars return six starters from a season ago, including senior striker Jose Antonio Herrera (team-high 1,456 minutes, 3 goals) and junior midfielder Bali Esquivel (1,384 minutes, 4 assists). Defensively, the squad brings back anchors Jago Thompson-Roberts (1,245 minutes) and Noah Kummrow (1,096 minutes) and both Nathaniel Isom (2 goals, 2 assists) and Christian Nielsen (1 goal, 1 assist) return to their attacking positions. 

Boom helped land a highly touted recruiting class which began with a cast of midyear transfers last January. Defenders Jayden Quezada and Luke Gonda provide immediate depth on the back line while Jai Dindiyal is expected to contribute in the midfield. The IU Indy roster also boasts 12 freshmen, including a trio of goalkeepers in Markus Bizyak, Peter Field and Vicente Silva. Brownsburg-native Micah Eldridge brings All-American credentials to the IU Indy program after totaling 24 goals and six assists as a senior a year ago. 

Ahead of game one, below is a Q&A with Coach Boom. 

Q: All right, coach, year one, you get the big chair this year. What, what are your expectations for this season?
Boom: I think the expectations are high. We've got a returning group that's very experienced. We've got talented freshmen that will come in and challenge for minutes immediately. Between the two, I think we're ready to go compete in the Horizon League.
 
Q: Now you had a big hand in recruiting a good chunk of this roster. In terms of the seamlessness from Sid to yourself and continuity of the roster, how important was that in terms of retaining this group going into the season?
Boom: Very important. I think we share the same values when it comes to bringing the right guys into the program. We share the same values when it comes to how we want to approach the game. We want to play football. We want to be on the front foot, be in your face. The first priority was getting the right guys into the room. We've actually done that. It's been a joy working and getting to know those guys.
 
Q: In terms of returners, who are some guys that you're kind of leaning on to take that next step or kind of keep the thing going the direction it should.
Boom: First and foremost, we've got a lot of minutes returning from the fall, the spring. Jago leads that line nearly 50 caps. He'll reach that very soon. He'll lead that back line. He's a big voice for us. Noah Kummrow, as an outside back, provides us leadership minutes. Jose Herrera leads the team with shots, leads this team with creative moments. He'll continue that this year.
 
Q: I know one of the emphasis in recruiting was kind of let's get more dynamic in the attack. Who are some of those guys that you think will kind of bring that flare create more of those dynamic moments?
Boom: We'll continue with Jose. He's very creative. He's finding himself in a position where he's got a little bit more freedom, pockets to receive the ball, continue to go forward. We've got Rico returning, Jose's brother, who will have great chemistry with him. Provide passing moments again, get the ball in the box, and then we've brought in fresh legs, athleticism. We've got Micah Eldridge leading the line now as well, with a great combination of power, strength, ability to take guys on. We've got a very good mix of pace, athleticism, but also ability on the ball.
 
Q: In terms of goal goalkeeping position, a lot of unknowns at this point, a lot of unproven guys. What do you like from the guys that you've brought in and kind of that competition going into camp?
Boom: I think the first most important thing is we've got guys that are brave. We've got guys that are willing to come off their line, play the game. Yell at the guys in front of us, even if they're still learning their names. They've shown that they've won, they've shown that they're comfortable leading in difficult moments through adversity, and they bounced back well, they're very mature despite being young.
 
Q: In terms of being a first-year head coach, what are the things that you're looking to learn or you're eager to learn as the season progresses?
Boom: I think there will be a lot of learning moments for me. I'm very excited for many. I think the first learning moment is how the guys react through difficult moments and how we lead them through those. We've got a tough schedule to start, we'll be battle tested with a road trip to Dayton and Ohio State, Xavier at home, and then off to Louisville. We will be tested. It will be difficult. How we react to that is something that I'm excited about.
 
Q: Finish this sentence for me. The season's a success if...
Boom: we win the Horizon League.