Forward Ian Abbey Joins Fort Wayne Football Club on 25-Day Contract in Advance of Team's 1st Pro Match
USL1 Fort Wayne FC

Forward Ian Abbey Joins Fort Wayne Football Club on 25-Day Contract in Advance of Team's 1st Pro Match

Published on March 5, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Fort Wayne FC News Release


Fort Wayne Football Club, readying for its first match in professional soccer Saturday, has added forward Ian Abbey to the roster on a 25-day contract.

The addition is pending league and federation approval.

"I'm super excited to be joining Fort Wayne Football Club," said Abbey, 21, whose résumé includes NCAA soccer in the Big East and Big Ten Conferences, and who has also played in MLS Next Pro. "I've been working my whole life to get where I am, and now that I get the opportunity to be here is a huge blessing and I can't wait to get started."

Fort Wayne FC faces FC Naples at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida, and it'll be Fort Wayne FC's first match in USL League One. The match will air on ESPN+.

The addition of Abbey brings the Fort Wayne FC roster to 19 players.

"Ian is a dynamic young winger who has come to Fort Wayne and really impressed the staff and team with his attitude, energy, and performances," Fort Wayne FC head coach Mike Avery said. "He brings top-level college soccer experience from Rutgers in the Big Ten and Providence in the Big East - two of the best soccer conferences in the country - as well as top level pre-professional experience from his time with Vermont Green in USL League Two and Philadelphia Union II, two of the best development programs in their respective spaces.

"Ian joined us relatively late in the preseason and has earned the opportunity to have a longer look with this 25-day contract. I am excited to see him play in USL League One, and to see how this all unfolds for him as a professional player. Ian is still just 21 and this is a very positive first step in what could be a long career."

Abbey, a native of Elmer, New Jersey, had three goals and three assists last season in 16 matches for Providence.

He played at Rutgers University from 2022 to 2024, where he was a teammate of Fort Wayne FC goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe. Abbey appeared in 50 matches for Rutgers and had eight goals and seven assists.

As a junior in 2024, Abbey had two goals and team-leading five assists. In 2022, he was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team after a season that saw him score back-to-back game-winning goals against Michigan and Penn State.

Also in 2022, Abbey played 11 matches with MLS Next Pro's Philadelphia Union II, the reserve team of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union.

He played last season for the Vermont Green of USL League Two, the pre-professional level in which Fort Wayne FC competed from 2021 to 2025.

Fort Wayne Football Club roster

Ian Abbey, forward, 21 years old

Javier Armas, midfielder, 26 years old

Clarence Awoudor, midfielder, 22 years old

Ryan Becher, midfielder, 24 years old

Aurie Briscoe, goalkeeper, 24 years old

Tiago Dias, defender, 24 years old

Jeremy Garay, midfielder, 22 years old

Taig Healy, midfielder, 22 years old

Anthony Hernandez, defender, 22 years old

JP Jordan, midfielder, 23 years old

James Musa, midfielder, 33 years old

Daniel Oyetunde, forward, 19 years old

Michael Rempel, defender, 24 years old

Lilian Ricol, attacker, 23 years old

Bernd Schipmann, goalkeeper, 31 years old

Jayden Smith, defender, 19 years old

Juan Solís, defender, 21 years old

Reid Sproat, defender, 24 years old

Jack Thomas, midfielder, 21 years old

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