IU sophomore signs with Indy Eleven

by Travis Clark

August 25, 2020

Another young attacking talent is on his way to Indy Eleven.

Bolstered in part this season by on-loan midfielder Andrew Carleton and high-scoring Canadian forward Tyler Pasher, the USL Championship side announced the addition of Joshua Penn, who signed his first professional contract with the club.

“We said we’d be open to welcoming Josh back when he departed for IU last summer, and we are thrilled he is taking us up on the offer,” Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie said in a statement. “We obviously know what he brings to the squad – pace on and off the ball, a willingness to take on defenders, and the ability to finish around the penalty area in various ways. He’s an exciting young player that will certainly provide a boost of energy to the squad for the stretch drive of our 2020 season.”

✍️ Welcome back to the squad, @joshpenn2!#IndyForever | #VictoryIsOurs

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— Indy Eleven (@IndyEleven) August 25, 2020

Penn was a freshman last fall at Indiana, where he scored six goals and added two assists in 22 appearances. The Naperville, Illinois native had previously joined Indy on an amateur deal during the 2019 USL Championship campaign, after playing club soccer for Sockers FC. He made five appearances last season before moving to Bloomington to start his college career.

“I’m excited to be back in a familiar setting that, while different, will provide an even better chance for me to be a part of the team and even more focused on my play this time around,” said Penn. “I planned on playing at IU this fall and hopefully going professional from there, but with the college season being suspended it felt like now was the right time to make the move. I’m really glad it happened this way because Indy Eleven provides a great opportunity for me, so it was a no-brainer and a way to make some good out of a tough situation.”