Newcomer Harrison Robledo Scores Late Blast in Spring Exhibition Opener
Indy Eleven shook the rust off its long offseason in its 2023 preseason exhibition opener today against Butler University, which posted a 3-1 victory over the Boys in Blue at the Grand Park Events Center. The newest member of the Eleven, midfielder Harrison Robledo, made a fast impression with a fantastic late strike to get Indiana’s Team on the board.
“I thought the football was good. [Butler] had a plan to be low and compact and hard to break down, which gave us a lot of the ball. I thought we had a lot of good movements, and maybe not enough shots, but that’s just part of being early in the preseason because it hasn’t been an emphasis of ours yet with just a week together,” said Indy Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry. “Three mistakes cost us three goals, and I think those were the three most dangerous looks they had. You just want to eliminate those mistakes, and I’d rather we learn from them now than during the season.”
Lowry opened the match – contested in four 20-minute quarters – with a first XI that included most of the squad’s marquee offseason signings, and the group dominated possession throughout the opening stanza while putting ample pressure on the Butler defense. While several corner kicks came out of the prolonged possession, an Eleven turnover in the defensive third 17 minutes in led to a 1-v-1 opportunity for former Eleven Academy signing Kevin Ault, who finished his chance into the top netting to give Butler the early lead.
A more back-and-forth second quarter was played to a stalemate, with Lowry making only a couple of changes to his line-up from the opening 20 minutes, including the return of Eleven Academy graduate midfielder Alann Torres, who spend the 2022 campaign on loan to future exhibition opponent Forward Madison FC.
The third quarter saw four more fresh faces enter the line-up as Lowry began to look at more of his new-look roster, including Robledo, who officially joined Indy on loan from MLS side FC Cincinnati on Wednesday. Butler moved the scoreboard through Ault once more in the 47th minute, when he received an outlet pass in the center circle and raced upfield to beat the Eleven backline and finish with aplomb again into the upper corner. Seven minutes later another Indy turnover led to Butler’s third, as a Bulldogs attacker hustled to intercept a backpass and just beat Eleven netminder Tim Trilk to the loose ball to poke into an open goal for a 3-0 Butler lead.
The fourth quarter saw a majority of guest players take the field for the Eleven, and the side held its own with spurts of energy and continued possession around the area. However, it was a crafty diagonal out of midfield from Mechack Jerome that created the goal for Indy two minutes from the final whistle, the veteran center back’s lengthy ball finding Robledo in the top corner of the area. From there, Robledo beat his man inside to get off a shot that nestled inside the far post to give the Boys in Blue a quality finish to their preseason opener.
This afternoon’s contest was the first of five planned exhibition matches for Indiana’s Team this preseason, which will continue against Indiana Wesleyan University next Tuesday, February 14, in a closed door scrimmage. The preseason leads up to Indy Eleven’s 2023 USL Championship regular season opener one month from tomorrow at the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, March 11.
Media outlets seeking to cover exhibition matches during the Eleven’s 2023 preseason are asked to contact John Koluder in the Indy Eleven Communications Department at jkoluder@indyeleven.com or 317-919-0808 (mobile) for access details, including kickoff times.
Indy Eleven will kick off the home portion of its tenth season of play – and its sixth campaign in the USL Championship – on Saturday, April 1, when the Boys in Blue welcome Las Vegas Lights FC to the Circle City for the clubs’ first-ever meeting. Single-game tickets for the home opener at IUPUI Carroll Stadium along with 17-game Season Ticket Memberships, specially-priced group tickets, and an increased portfolio of hospitality options are available for purchase now via indyeleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100 during regular business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
2022 Spring Preseason Exhibition
Indy Eleven 1 : 3 Butler University
Friday, February 10, 2022
Grand Park Events Center – Westfield, Ind.
Scoring Summary:
BUT – Palmer Ault 17’
BUT – Palmer Ault 47’
BUT – 54’
IND – Harrison Robledo (Mechack Jerome) 78’
Indy Eleven line-up: Yannik Oettl (Tim Trilk 40’); ^Guest Ossian (^Guest Anoka 40’), Jesus Vazquez (^Guest Lanesville 60’), Gustavo Rissi (Mechack Jerome 20’), Younes Boudadi (^Guest Glezen 60’); Aodhan Quinn (^Guest Kewanna 60’), Cam Lindley (Alann Torres 33’), Jack Blake (^Guest Taswell 60’); Sebastian Guenzatti (^Guest Tab 60’), Jonas Fjeldberg (Juan Tejada 40’), Solomon Asante (Harrison Robledo 40’)
^ guest player (aliases)
Indy Eleven 2023 Preseason Exhibition Schedule
Friday, Feb. 10 Indy Eleven 1 : 3 Butler University
Tuesday, Feb. 14 Indy Eleven vs. Indiana Wesleyan University (closed door)
Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. Chicago Fire 2 – 3:00 p.m. kickoff at Grand Park Events Center
– Hosted in conjunction with the Indy Eleven National Coaches Symposium
– Open to Symposium attendees and 2023 Indy Eleven Season Ticket Members
Saturday, Feb. 25 at Chicago Fire
Friday, March 3 vs. Forward Madison FC (closed door)
