Kevin Johnston

Special for IndyStar

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium, affectionately known as “The Mike,” has hosted some of the Indy Eleven’s fondest memories over the years. Indy captured the 2016 NASL spring championship there and won its only postseason match in franchise history later that year at its original home. But outside of the remarkable 2016 season, the Eleven weren’t exactly a juggernaut at Carroll Stadium.

Now, Indy has a chance to amend that history at “The Mike.”

Indy will host New York Red Bulls II there 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with the victor advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the winner of Saturday’s Charleston Battery-Nashville SC match.

As the No. 3 seed, the Eleven – if they get past NYRB II – will need second-seeded Nashville to falter if they hope to play at Carroll Stadium again in the next round. If they were to win at Nashville, they could potentially return home to host the conference final or league final should they encounter a worse-seeded team.

More:Which version of Indy Eleven will show up for playoffs?

Indy Eleven’s home record in league play from 2014-19:

2014: 2 wins-5 draws-7 losses (NASL, Carroll Stadium)

2015: 6W-4D-5L (NASL, Carroll Stadium)

2016: 13W*-3D-0L (NASL, Carroll Stadium)

2017: 5W-5D-6L (NASL, Carroll Stadium)

2018: 8W-5D-4L (USL, Lucas Oil Stadium)

2019: 13W-4D-0L (USL Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium)

*includes one playoff win

All-time record at Carroll: 26W-17D-18L

All-time record at Lucas Oil: 21W-9D-4L

For all the charm and nostalgia at Carroll Stadium, the Eleven truly “grew up” as a club at Lucas Oil. But against New York, Indy might welcome the venue change.

Red Bulls II probably came the closest to snapping Indy’s home unbeaten streak that dates to July 4, 2018. In that Sept. 4 match at Lucas Oil, NYRB II out-possessed Indy 53%-47% and outshot Indy 20-7, but lost 1-0. Eleven coach Martin Rennie admitted New York was one of the toughest teams his squad had seen at home in some time.

“Since the (home) unbeaten streak started, that would be one of the hardest games,” he confessed after the match. “And yeah, one of the sweetest wins.”

Anatomy of home unbeaten streak:Indy Eleven just keep winning at Lucas Oil

Another interesting wrinkle is that although the Red Bulls’ parent club has already lost in Major League Soccer's playoffs, the team can’t funnel the organization’s best players down to NYRB II for Saturday’s affair.

“The USL roster freeze occurred on Sept. 20,” explained league spokesperson Scott Stewart. “As for MLS-2 clubs, and NYRB II in particular, a first-team player that is active on both the first team and RBII’s roster prior to the freeze, is still allowed to play for the USL side, assuming he meets the eligibility requirement below. Again, the player must remain active on the second-team roster for this to happen.

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Red Bulls II has plenty of firepower even without borrowing first-team regulars. NYRB II sat atop the conference standings earlier this season, but struggled down the stretch to finish as the No. 6 seed.

While most of the Indy Eleven’s current history unfolds at Lucas Oil — and their future might eventually include a move to the proposed Eleven Park development — they’ll have a chance Saturday to revise the last chapter from their time at Carroll Stadium.