Bradenton, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2024) – The Indy Eleven Academy U20 team survived and advanced in the 2024 USL Academy League Finals Round of 16 with a dramatic 4-2 shootout victory over the Southern Soccer Academy of Marietta, Ga. at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
After falling behind 1-0, the Boys in Blue responded quickly with forward Victor Aguilar (South Bend, Ind.) assisting on a goal by forward Cal Kurzawa (Carmel, Ind.) to even the match.
Indy Eleven took a 2-1 lead when Aguilar recorded his second assist. His free kick caromed off the crossbar, with defender Maverick McCoy (Carmel, Ind.) converting the rebound.
In the first overtime, forward Jonah Mwilambwe (Normal, Ill.) put the Boys in Blue ahead 3-2 off an assist from midfielder Will Scheu (Westfield, Ind.). SSA responded to tie it at 3-3 and after a scoreless second overtime, the match went to a penalty shootout.
After trailing 1-0 in the shootout, forward Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind.), midfielder Levi Dewey (Indianapolis, Ind.), forward Edin Cvorovic (Fishers, Ind.), and Mwilambwe scored on consecutive tries for the Boys in Blue. Goalkeeper Ryan Hunsucker (Westfield, Ind.) made a huge save in the corner, setting up Mwilambwe’s clincher.
“Today was a gritty performance and I’m proud of the guys for finding a way to pull it out”, said Indy Eleven Academy Director and head coach Kiki Wallace. “Our team is very gritty and fortunately has a knack of finding a way to win games like this. It’s a sign of a good team when you can find ways to win when it’s not your best day.”
Indy Eleven will face the defending champion Charlotte Independence in the quarterfinals Friday at 2 pm.
- Thu. Dec. 5 Indy Eleven vs. Southern Soccer Academy (Ga.) 3:3 (4:2)
- Fri. Dec. 6 Quarterfinals vs. Charlotte Independence, 2 p.m.
- Sat. Dec. 7 Semifinals, 12 p.m.
- Sun. Dec. 8 Third Place match, Championship, 9 a.m./12 p.m.
Through the USL’s partnership with SportsEngine Play, every game from the 16-team 2024 USL Academy League Finals at IMG Academy knockout bracket will stream live and free through the online service.
The schedule of matches and results is on the Academy League Finals home page, while additional content can be found throughout the week on the USL Academy’s Twitter and Instagram feeds.
