From 2019 to 2021, Indiana men’s soccer had its primary goal-scorers. They dominated in almost every area of play, and while other players contributed from time to time, the top few strikers were always reliable.
When Victor Bezerra and Spencer Glass left the program following the 2021 season, everyone’s minds whirred with possibilities as to who could fill that role. Some pointed to incoming transfers or freshmen as the ones likely to be the next key contributor.
Enter Ryan Wittenbrink. The forward was already a regular presence off the bench, often called upon to disrupt defenses and, hopefully, score a goal or two. And yet, there were very few — if any — who projected Wittenbrink as Indiana’s main offensive spark plug in the 2022 season.
But Wittenbrink was going to be a redshirt senior. It was his final year as a Hoosier, and he thought differently.
“It was definitely a goal,” Wittenbrink said about being a key producer on offense. “It’s funny here, obviously because there are a lot of great players, you’ve got to kind of wait your turn sometimes.”
Wittenbrink currently leads the team with nine goals and nine assists, and has been a fixture in almost every goal Indiana has scored. His proficiency in corner kicks is rivaled by few, and his natural athleticism poses problem after problem for opponents.
When he arrived at Indiana as a freshman in 2018, Wittenbrink redshirted due to an injury. In 2019, he only appeared in three matches. He started seeing more of the pitch in the 2020-21 COVID-19 season, starting three matches and coming off the bench in 13.
He played similar minutes during the 2021 season, and the flashes of potential in his first few seasons began getting brighter. In both the 2020-21 and 2021 seasons combined, Wittenbrink scored eight goals. He was improving, and Indiana was benefiting from it.
And yet, he couldn’t quite find that starting spot. But then, the 2022 season began. He scored three goals coming off the bench, and became a starter by the seventh game of the season.
“There was no expectation from him [in] year one, year two,” head coach Todd Yeagley said. “Probably by year three, that’s when your opportunity [will come], if you develop in these areas, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Indiana men’s soccer head coach Todd Yeagley provides insight into Ryan Wittenbrink’s personality on and off the pitch.
Wittenbrink is no stranger to seeing Indiana succeed, whether he is on the pitch or not. Indiana men’s soccer is one of the most successful programs in college soccer history, with eight NCAA Championship titles and 15 Big Ten Tournament Championship titles. While Wittenbrink is a native of Caseyville, Illinois, both of his parents are Indiana University alumni, and he grew up a Hoosier fan.
So when he got the offer to join the program, it was an easy decision.
Ryan Wittenbrink talks about what influenced him to choose to play soccer at Indiana, and how he has benefitted from being a Hoosier.
Ultimately, Wittenbrink has been the difference between wins and losses for Indiana throughout the 2022 season. Playing as a consistent starter in his final season as a Hoosier has set him up with the potential to play at the next level, while allowing him to grow even more as a player and a person.
Wittenbrink will look to close out his final season as a Hoosier with another national championship title. But no matter how the NCAA Tournament ends, Wittenbrink showed that not everyone has to be a superstar from the moment they step on the pitch to ultimately be successful and make a difference.
