Indy Eleven has confirmed that eight players will be returning to the squad next year.
Those eight players are Goalkeeper Kristian Nicht; defenders Jaime Frias, Kyle Hyland, Cory Miller and Erick Norales; and midfielders Kleberson, Brad Ring and Don Smart.
Indy Eleven has also declined the options on Jon Dawson and Nathan Sprenkel, defenders Chris Estridge and Andrew Stone, midfielder Jermaine Johnson and forwards Mike Ambersley and Jhulliam. Those seven players that had their options declined will not be returning.
It is hard to part ways with players that worked hard all season long, and that you were close with. “Evaluating the roster at the end of the year is bittersweet, because you know you will be parting ways with players that mean a lot to the organization,” said Indy Eleven President/General Manager Peter Wilt. “These moves were all made in the context of available budget and players’ ability to help Indy Eleven compete for championships going forward. I want to thank all the players from our inaugural season who gave their time and effort to the club and our fans; they will forever have a unique place in the team’s history and always be a part of the Indy Eleven family.”
The hardest thing is to part ways with a player that provided a spark for your team at times and scored the first goal for the club and that player is Mike Ambersley. Mike is a talented player and it surprised me that they didn’t renew his contract. The way it looks is that the club is trying to build a stronger team than last season, they didn’t play to their full potential.
We are now going to see them add some more pieces to make them a contender for The Championship.
