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Indy Eleven Academy U20 wins USL National Championship!




Bradenton, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2024) –The Indy Eleven U20 Academy team used a dominant defense and an opportunistic offense to defeat AC Connecticut, 2-0, in the finals to win the USL Academy League Championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.


It is the second championship for the Boys in Blue in the four-year history of the event, with Indy Eleven also earning the 2021 title under current Academy Director and Head Coach Kiki Wallace.

The U20 Boys in Blue finish 2024 with a 15-0-3 record vs. USL Academy competition, the USL Academy Cup championship, and the USL Academy League Finals crown. The team, comprised of 19 players from the state of Indiana, scored 45 goals and allowed a league-low 10 this season, recording seven shutouts.


“2024 will be one to remember,” said Wallace. “Close to 40 players contributed to our success at the U20 level. That says a lot about the quality and depth of our talent pool. These kids are incredible!”

“Our coaching staff put together a unique game plan for the final–a soccer version of a “rope-a-dope”, said Wallace. “The squad was terrific to buy in and execute. They played into our plan and our legs were spared some of the rigors of our normal game model. The tournament is first-class, competition is tougher every year. Our Indy Eleven Academy players benefit tremendously from this experience.”


Defender Jake Alb (Crown Point, Ind.), one of two U17 players for the Boys in Blue in Bradenton, scored the game-winning goal in the championship match on a header from the six off a perfect free kick delivery from midfielder Levi Dewey (Indianapolis, Ind.) in the 47th minute.


Dewey recorded his second assist of the match in the 67th minute on another beautiful pass to forward Victor Aguilar (South Bend, Ind.), who volleyed it home to make it 2-0. Forward Fynn Lahrsen (Indianapolis, Ind.) started the sequence by winning a ball outside the area.


Goalie Ryan Hunsucker (Westfield, Ind.) made 11 saves in the match to record a clean sheet against an AC Connecticut team that had not been shut out in USL Academy play this season after scoring a league-best 46 goals.


  • Thu. Dec. 5       Indy Eleven def. Southern Soccer Academy (Ga.) 3:3 (4:2)

  • Fri. Dec. 6         Indy Eleven def. Charlotte Independence 4:0

  • Sat. Dec. 7        Indy Eleven def. Real Colorado, 3:1 (AET)

  • Sun. Dec. 8       Indy Eleven def. AC Connecticut, 2:0


Post-Game Quotes


Jake Alb

On winning the USL Academy League Finals

We worked the entire game and the entire tournament. We’re just a team. We’re close. We work as a family. One person always keeps everyone in line. I give a lot of credit to our captain Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind.). He kept us hopeful and right the entire tournament. He helped us get ready for these games. But as a team, we work hard for each other, and we’re a family. When we’re on the field, we work for each other, and that’s how we got the job done.


On the side taking its chances when they presented themselves

Our defense stayed tight the entire game. We let up some, but we’re lucky to have our goalkeeper back there. Our goalie [Ryan Hunsucker] is a big part of the game, made some wonderful saves, but when it comes to our offense, we could always count on them to make their goals when we needed them, bringing those big chances.


On following in the footsteps of 2021 USL Academy League Finals winners

We have to give all thanks to them. They started this, and they helped us along the way to know how we [need to] perform. They help us get in this rhythm that we have every tournament to get these wins. And a big thanks to our coaches. They always believe in us. They always know what we can do and are capable of, it’s just a big thanks to them. We always come in here and we do what we do, we do what we need to do.


On the influence of First Team defender Logan Neidlinger on his game

He’s the main one that taught me a lot when it comes to defense. He was always on my side. He always helped me, and he helped me become the player I am today. He always taught me, even when I was back there, he was always teaching me, he’s always helping me. He would get on me because when I was playing with them, they always knew I had to play to their level. Just because I was younger, I couldn’t play down. He always held me accountable, and told me when I was wrong, told me I did great. He’s a great example, and I hope one day I can play next to him.


Levi Dewey

On his road to playing a key role in the Final

This means a lot for me. Twelve-and-a-half months ago, I tore every ligament in my knee, so I had to fight back through that. And then just two days ago, I had lost consciousness on the field, and I was kind of struggling mentally, like, ‘am I going to be okay? Am I going to be able to play?’ And I just had a lot of my friends, my brothers, kids that I’ve played with my whole life around me tell me I’m going to be fine. Everything worked out. I got cleared, and I came back and I have a pretty good performance.


On his two-assist performance

I didn’t score. I promised my parents a goal, so sorry to them.


On his delivery for Jake Alb’s opening goal

I just know Jake’s an animal up in the air. Every time I put it in there, he’s flying around it no matter where. I saw the goalkeeper sitting more on the back post, so I thought maybe more front-side of the six. I put it there, and he goes up, flicks it front post, goal.


On making the most of the side’s chances in the second half

We’ve always weathered the storm. Every time there’s been problems, we’ve fixed it, we figured it out, and we’ve gone and finished the challenge. We were struggling to get the ball into the box. We were struggling to get forward, keep possession of the ball. They were getting a couple really good chances in the beginning, and then Kiki [Wallace] sat us down and was telling us to get maintain the pressure and get a rhythm. We started to do that. We started to break them down. And then we got into the box more and we were more dangerous.


On winning the Academy League Finals

I’ve played with a bunch of people that won the first one, and they told us it was a different type of feeling than the other Academy Cups. The Final is a different beast, and I’m glad to walk away with it.

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