Team Indiana Soccer Pitches Shutout, Advances to Gold Medal Match

Facing Kansas for the second time at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, Team Indiana’s Unified soccer squad scored six unanswered goals.

The 6-0 victory Wednesday moves Indiana into the gold medal match Thursday against District of Columbia, which advanced with a 3-1 win over Massachusetts.

In Monday’s 5-1 win against Kansas, Indiana gave up a late goal. On Wednesday, the team controlled possession and pitched a shutout.

“Man, your positioning was really good,” coach Rob Allen of DeKalb County told the team after the game. “You were in the right spots. You were looking for each other. You played hard. All of the things we talked about we had to do, we did, so I am really excited.”

The match was highlighted by a hat trick from Elliott Miller of Boone County.

He scored the first goal of the game on an assist from Unified partner William Lengacher of DeKalb County.

Brady Allen then scored right before halftime for a 2-0 lead.

In the second half, Allen stole the ball near the goal and dribbled in for a score.

“They were good shots that I was open for, trying to just play zone,” Allen said. “It was a good team effort from everyone who passed the ball and talked out there, making sure that we were open, well minded and focused on our game.”

Lengacher and Miller connected again for a goal before Unified partner Collin Schlatter of DeKalb County kicked the ball from the right side of the field toward Miller, who booted it in.

The final goal was scored by Jonathan Snider of Hamilton County on an assist from Charlie Wilson of Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn Counties.

“Charlie had a great dribble for Jonathan’s goal, and then I said, ‘Charlie, I bet you wish you would have scored, but it honestly feels better to assist,’” Lengacher said. “I’ve always said assisting feels better, and so I love to get to do that.”

Lengacher said the team told Snider all game to get to the post, and he went exactly where he was supposed to, resulting in his first goal of USA Games.

“All I know is I had fun,” Snider said. “It’s fun, and it’s a good day to do it.”

After a tough 3-2 loss Tuesday, Lengacher said the team went through some things it needed to do better Wednesday.

“Everybody did those things exactly right, and it worked out great,” he said.

Now, the team has a chance to bring gold medals back to Indiana.

“I hope to get a medal and win again,” Snider said, smiling.

Brady hopes to win his second gold medal at USA Games, but this time, it would be in a different sport.

“I went for basketball in Seattle (in 2018), so I’m used to this level of game,” he said. “(Getting) another gold in our USA Games would be a huge thing to do.”

The athletes and Unified partners are excited about the opportunity.

“We get to play for gold, so that’s what we wanted to do when we came, and so we’ll try to make this completely worth it for everybody and just have a great time,” Lengacher said. “I know we’re going to do our best. We have three or four things again that we need to work on for tomorrow. If we do it again, it’ll be perfect, and we’ll win gold.”