INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven continued to secure the services of Hoosier-based talent on Friday as it announced the signing of goalkeeper and Zionsville native Holden Brown to a USL Academy contract for the remainder of the 2019 USL Championship season.

“One of our overarching goals as a club is to get the best players from across the state involved with us,” said Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie. “We believe that young homegrown players can help our club, and Holden fits that bill. We look forward to being a part of his professional development.”

The 17-year-old has officially been added to the Indy Eleven roster and will be available for selection as early as Saturday’s fixture at Nashville SC. In joining the club as a USL Academy signing – Indy Eleven’s fourth such signing in 2019 – Brown retains his future NCAA eligibility.

In related roster moves, prior USL Academy signings Joshua Penn and Mario Perez have been released from Indy Eleven’s roster, with the duo reporting to Indiana University and Purdue University Fort Wayne, respectively, in the coming days to begin their collegiate college careers for the NCAA Division I programs.

“I hope they both enjoy their college experience. They’re both talented players and we enjoyed having them on our squad,” Rennie said. “They’re welcome back anytime, and we’ll be watching them closely to see how they develop.”

Brown has taken to the pitch for the Westfield-based Indiana Fire Academy, a U.S. Soccer Development Academy club that sees current Eleven Assistant Coach Phil Presser serve as its Academy Director. Brown started eight of his 12 appearances for Indiana Fire’s Academy’s Under-18/19 squad across its current 2018/19 USSDA season.

“It’s really great to sign for Indy Eleven,” said Brown. “I’ve been coming here for a few months and the level of talent here is so high. I’m really happy for my development. All the guys here are hard on me in a good way. They give me good criticism and they all want the best for me.”