Thursday, August 20
LOUISVILLE, KY
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
1-0-0, 0-0-0
2
vs
1
IU Indy
0-1-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| IU Indy | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Louisville | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Zizza Leads Louisville to 2-1 Victory Over IU Indy in Season Opener
August 20, 2026 | Men's Soccer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's soccer team opened the 2026 season with a 2-1 victory over IU Indy on Thursday night at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
Ten Cardinals made their Louisville debuts in the season opener, including Silas Damm, Braydon Sellers, Giacomo Zizza, Johnny Petruso, Håkon Edstrøm, Jacopo Surricchio, Brody Mayer, Emil Thor, Ryan Hauser and goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham. Zizza made an immediate impact in his debut, scoring both of Louisville's goals, while Abraham earned the victory in goal with two saves.
Zizza provided all of the Cardinals' offense, scoring twice in the first half to give Louisville an early advantage. Zizza opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finding the back of the net at the 5:28 mark to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Louisville doubled its advantage in the 23rd minute when Zizza converted a penalty kick at 22:50, marking his second goal of the night and giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Cardinals controlled play throughout the opening half, holding a 6-0 advantage in shots and a 64-36 edge in possession. Louisville also earned seven corner kicks while limiting IU Indy to one.
IU Indy cut into the deficit in the 70th minute when Jose Antonio Herrera converted a penalty kick to make it a 2-1 match. The Jaguars continued to pressure late, but Louisville goalkeeper Abraham made two saves in the second half to preserve the Cardinal lead.
Louisville finished the match with an 18-5 advantage in shots and a 13-1 edge in corner kicks. The Cardinals put six shots on target, compared to three for IU Indy.
Abraham earned the victory in his debut, finishing with two saves. Peter Field recorded four saves for IU Indy.
Zizza led the Cardinals with four shots, all four of which were on target, while Nicholas Parham and Thor each added three shots. The victory gives Louisville a 1-0-0 record to begin the 2026 campaign, while IU Indy falls to 0-1-0.
Louisville returns to action Monday, August 24 when it travels to Kentucky for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Ky.
Ten Cardinals made their Louisville debuts in the season opener, including Silas Damm, Braydon Sellers, Giacomo Zizza, Johnny Petruso, Håkon Edstrøm, Jacopo Surricchio, Brody Mayer, Emil Thor, Ryan Hauser and goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham. Zizza made an immediate impact in his debut, scoring both of Louisville's goals, while Abraham earned the victory in goal with two saves.
Zizza provided all of the Cardinals' offense, scoring twice in the first half to give Louisville an early advantage. Zizza opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finding the back of the net at the 5:28 mark to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Louisville doubled its advantage in the 23rd minute when Zizza converted a penalty kick at 22:50, marking his second goal of the night and giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Cardinals controlled play throughout the opening half, holding a 6-0 advantage in shots and a 64-36 edge in possession. Louisville also earned seven corner kicks while limiting IU Indy to one.
IU Indy cut into the deficit in the 70th minute when Jose Antonio Herrera converted a penalty kick to make it a 2-1 match. The Jaguars continued to pressure late, but Louisville goalkeeper Abraham made two saves in the second half to preserve the Cardinal lead.
Louisville finished the match with an 18-5 advantage in shots and a 13-1 edge in corner kicks. The Cardinals put six shots on target, compared to three for IU Indy.
Abraham earned the victory in his debut, finishing with two saves. Peter Field recorded four saves for IU Indy.
Zizza led the Cardinals with four shots, all four of which were on target, while Nicholas Parham and Thor each added three shots. The victory gives Louisville a 1-0-0 record to begin the 2026 campaign, while IU Indy falls to 0-1-0.
Louisville returns to action Monday, August 24 when it travels to Kentucky for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Ky.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's SoccerTeam Stats
IUI
LOU
Goals
1
2
Shots
5
18
Shots on Goal
3
6
Saves
4
2
Corners
1
13
Fouls
13
14
Scoring Plays
Giacomo Zizza (1)
GOAL by LOU Zizza, Giacomo.
05:28
Giacomo Zizza (1)
LOU Giacomo Zizza PENALTY KICK GOAL.
22:50
Jose Antonio Herrera
IUI Jose Antonio Herrera PENALTY KICK GOAL.
69:57
Game Leaders
Shots
4
SOG
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
4
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
def
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
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