Former Columbus Crew and US National Team player Brian Maisonneuve will suit up for the Alumni team on Saturday

With seven NCAA Championships, Indiana University has arguably the most storied soccer program in the nation.

On Saturday, the current Hoosier squad will get to face off against some of the greats that helped bring those seven national titles to Bloomington in an alumni match at Memorial Stadium.

“We have a unique group that’s still capable of giving our guys a heck of a game,” IU coach Todd Yeagley said. “We want our players around the alumni. They need to meet the alumni. Some of them haven’t met these players or have had little contact with them, so they’ll get a chance to spend time with them and hear some stories. It’s always good for the continuation of the program in learning from past players.”

Yeagley looks for the group of alumni to push his current squad, and perhaps give the team some soccer that they haven’t played against before.

“The unique thing in playing against an older group is that they’re going to be savvy and have some sophistication that current players aren’t going to have,” Yeagley said. “Certainly, they will be tactically smart in how they play.”

A broad range of former Hoosiers spanning three decades have been confirmed to take the field on Saturday night. Players such as John Stollmeyer, who was a member of the 1982 and 1983 National Championship winning teams, will join players as recent as Daniel Kelly on the Memorial Stadium turf. Stars from the most recent NCAA championship winning squads (2003 and 2004), Brian Plotkin and John Michael Hayden, also will be playing against the current Hoosiers Saturday night.

Two players on the alumni roster have World Cup experience with the U.S. Men’s National Team. John Stollmeyer played for his country during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Current assistant coach and 1994 Hermann Trophy winner Brain Maisonneuve played in all three matches of the 1998 World Cup in France for the US.

“He gives our team fits as it is,” Yeagley said of Maisonneuve. “It will be nice to see him out there, as we throw him into our activities already.”

Most of the alumni players played in cream and crimson under Yeagley’s father, the legendary Jerry Yeagley, but Jerry will not be coaching the alumni side.

“He’s just going to be the ambassador over there, talking and having fun,” Yeagley said of his father. “Coach Mais will take the alumni group and get them organized since he will be playing for them.”

When asked if he would have to fight temptation to join some of his former teammates on the field, Yeagley responded, “I wish I could, but my body right now– I haven’t been able to train in a long time. My knee is not in good shape.”

Yeagley retired from Major League Soccer in 2002 after seven seasons as a defender with the Columbus Crew.

The first kick of the alumni match will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.