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Many have noted that yesterday was National Signing Day for collegiate football, but that wasn’t the only sport that had young athletes making commitments to schools. Indiana Men’s Soccer was able to bolster their roster by bringing in the eighth-ranked recruiting class in the country.
The first player to sign with Indiana was 3-star forward Ryan Wittenbrink from Libertyville, IL. Wittenbrink scored 39 goals as a senior and tallied on 17 assists, ultimately being named the Lake County New-Sun Boys Soccer Player of the Year, as he led Libertyville High School to a 3A state runner-up finish. Wittenbrink also played club ball at FC United (IL), which has had players commit to Michigan, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin in recent years. Coach Todd Yeagley had plenty of praise for the High School All-American, specifically noting his attacking versatility:
Welcome to the Indiana Soccer family, Ryan! #Q49 #GoIU ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/vR0N683gFY
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) February 7, 2018
Not too long after Wittenbrink’s commitment came another, this one from Ben Yeagley who is, in fact, Todd’s son. The midfielder’s 2-star ranking may seem underwhelming, but he’s no slouch. The Bloomington High School South standout and High School All-American scored 22 goals as a senior and tacked on 10 assists, bringing his career point total as a Panther to 117. The third generation Hoosier has quite the name to live up to and should be a fine addition to the Indiana roster.
Proud to announce that I have committed to continue my soccer career at Indiana University! #GoHoosiers pic.twitter.com/2TyxrscUVy
— Ben (@benyeagley) October 25, 2017
The third signing of the day may have been IU’s biggest. Caseyville, IL defender Jack Maher will bring US Youth National Team experience with him to Bloomington. The 4-star prospect also has ties to Saint Louis FC of the United Soccer League, as do Trevor Swartz and the Panchot brothers, Logan and Austin. The addition of Maher could potentially soften the blow of losing MAC Hermann Trophy finalist Grant Lillard, and Todd Yeagley seems to think that the defender is the complete package:
Welcome to the Indiana Soccer family, Jack! #Q49 #GoIU ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/kotRGJgChq
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) February 7, 2018
The fourth member of this year’s IUMS class is goalkeeper Bryant Pratt. The 3-star recruit is from Columbus, OH and is a former Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper) winner at the US Youth National Championships. While there isn’t much need between the posts in Bloomington right now as Trey Muse had one of the most prolific seasons ever as a freshman, it never hurts to have some extra depth and an eye toward the future, which is where Pratt comes in. Here are some of Pratt’s 2018 highlights:
Right after Pratt’s commitment Indiana added 2-star defender Daniel Munie. The Maryland Heights, MO native is another prospect with St. Louis FC ties, he was a teammate of Jack Maher there and also at St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club. Todd Yeagley says that Munie is everything IU looks for in a defender:
Welcome to the Indiana Soccer family, Daniel! #Q49 #GoIU ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/N30GZZoNAe
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) February 7, 2018
To close out the class the Hoosiers added 3-star defender Isaac Sarosy. Sarosy is from Fair Oaks, IN and played at the Indiana Fire Academy, making 12 appearances this year for them. Todd Yeagley touted the defender’s toughness and versatility after the signing:
Welcome to the Indiana Soccer family, Isaac! #Q49 #GoIU ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/xceKHTzFuE
— Indiana Men's Soccer (@IndianaMSOC) February 7, 2018
Indiana Men’s Soccer is one of the most historically successful programs in all of collegiate athletics, and it appears that next season they’ll be in a position to have more success in 2018. These recruits should be able to step up and fill roles in this program, whether next fall or a few years down the road, which is what you always hope to see from a recruiting class. The future is bright for IUMS.