WESTFIELD, Ind. – Indy Eleven recorded its second consecutive win to start preseason as it took a 5-0 victory against Illinois side Bridges FC. Ayoze at Grand Park. Defender Karl Ouimette notched his first goal of the preseason in the second half, and a pair of guest players scored on either side of the interval, scores joined by a Bridges own goal to benefit the Boys in Blue.

Indy nearly went ahead 10 minutes in through forward Manuel Arteaga, who latched onto midfielder Rece Buckmaster’s pass from the right flank near the penalty area but saw his shot spin off the base of the left post and go wide.

That chance sparked an active five minutes that saw Indy bag the opening half’s two tallies in quick succession. The Boys in Blue struck first in the 12th minute when Buckmaster forced a turnover and began a cycle of central passes towards the top of the penalty area, where one of Indy’s pair of guest midfielders in the half bent a low shot inside the right post to put Indiana’s Team up 1-0.

Three minutes later, Ayoze picked up where he left off in Tuesday’s exhibition opener to double the advantage. The Bridges FC goalkeeper did well to keep out Indy’s initial shot on the chance, but the rebound fell to the onrushing Spanish midfielder, who made no mistake with a low, first-time effort from 12 yards to put Indy up 2-0. The goal was Ayoze’s third of the early spring season, adding to his pair of finishes and assist in 45 minutes of action earlier in the week against Detroit FC.

Ayoze was a factor at the defensive end too, sliding in at the edge of the area in the 37th minute to end Bridges’ best offensive foray of the half. Some half-chances from Indy over the final half-hour would mark the best of the rest of the action in the first half, which ended with Indiana’s Team maintaining its 2-0 lead.

Indy’s start to the second half unfolded the same way as the first as it notched a pair of goals in the first 15 minutes. Just moments after forward Gordon Wild nearly saw a cross from the left deflect in off a defender, a similar cross by the ex-LA Galaxy performer in the 50th minute redirected off a Bridges FC defender inside the six-yard area and into the net.

Ouimette then added a fourth seven minutes later as midfielder Nicky Law’s cross off a short corner found the Canadian center back at the far post. Ouimette’s deflected effort leaked its way through heavy traffic and into goal. The 69th minute saw Indy’s best finish from the run of play as the hosts rounded out the scoring. A ball down the right flank was tracked down by Nick Moon, and he quickly drove forward. Moon’s laser-like cross found the head of Indy’s guest center forward, who tucked home a finish in stride from close range.

Eleven netminder Jordan Farr didn’t have much to do on the day, but when his number was called in the 71st minute he came up big, making a kick save to repel a low shot destined for the right post. The remainder of the match played out uneventfully, with Indiana’s Team closing out the shutout in comfortable fashion.