Indy Eleven Announces Strong Group Of Returning Players

Indy Eleven enjoyed a groundbreaking 2016 on the field, and the club has taken the first steps towards building on that success during the 2017 NASL season with the announcement that nine crucial members of the squad will return to “Indiana’s Team.”

The group of players whose contracts either carried over into the upcoming season or saw options exercised includes:

• Goalkeepers: Jon Busch, Keith Cardona
• Defenders: Colin Falvey, Lovel Palmer, Nemanja Vukovic
• Midfielders: Don Smart, Sinisa Ubiparipovic
• Forwards: Justin Braun, Eamon Zayed

“These nine players are guys that have worn the captain’s armband, won championships and collected a massive amount of games in their careers at the professional level, and that dictates they will lead a ‘no excuses’ kind of team,” said head coach Tim Hankinson. “The continuity this core group brings means we will be further along in regards to being familiar with each other and the concepts we want to build upon when we start training camp next month. They know the work that needs to be put in and they know how to win, so we expect them to help deliver great things in 2017.”

“During this challenging offseason, Tim Hankinson and Tim Regan have done outstanding work to identify the group of players that will allow us to replicate the success of last season and lead to the next step of lifting the Soccer Bowl Trophy,” said Indy Eleven President Jeff Belskus. “We are continuing efforts to bring back more members of last year’s squad while also adding new players that will contribute to our club’s winning culture.”