Indiana Hosts Washington for Big Ten Tournament Final
Top-ranked Indiana men’s soccer hosts No. 2 seed Washington on Sunday afternoon on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium in the Big Ten Tournament final, Indiana University Athletics reported.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET for the conference title match. Tickets are available at $11 for general admission, $5 for youth, and free for students. Fans unable to attend can watch the match via the Big Ten Network, with free parking available in Lot 12 between Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and the IU Tennis Center.
The Hoosiers carry a 15-1-3 overall record and a 7-1-2 conference mark into their 24th conference championship match. Indiana is seeking its 13th Big Ten Championship Double, 17th tournament title, and 37th overall conference championship.
Washington enters the final with a 10-4-4 record and a 6-2-2 conference mark after advancing past Rutgers in a penalty shootout. The Huskies average 2.2 goals per game while conceding 1.1 goals against, led by head coach Jamie Clark in his 16th season in Seattle.
Indiana and Washington both received first-round byes before hosting and winning their respective semifinals. The Hoosiers defeated Maryland 1-0 on Wednesday behind a goal from third-year forward Easton Bogard.
Indiana enters the match on a three-game winning streak against Top 25 opponents. The team has balanced scoring 2.05 goals per game with a 0.58 goals against average across its 19 matches.
Bogard scored three goals in Indiana’s last two games, including his first career brace in a 3-2 victory over Michigan State that clinched the league title. Indiana previously defeated Washington 1-0 earlier this season in Bloomington.
Washington counters with a high-powered attack led by Zach Ramsey, who leads the nation with 19 goals and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors. Alex Hall was named Midfielder of the Year and Harrison Bertos Defensive Player of the Year.
Sunday’s match marks the first meeting between Indiana and Washington in the Big Ten Tournament. Five of their last six encounters have taken place during regular season play, with previous postseason matchups occurring in the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana defeated Washington 2-0 during the 1999 NCAA Tournament Second Round on the road toward winning the program’s second straight national title. Current IU head coach Todd Yeagley played in a 1992 tournament second-round victory against Washington.
The Hoosiers’ 1-0 regular season win earlier this year marked their first victory against Washington since 2001. That fixture saw Indiana become the first team to shut out the Huskies this season, with Bogard heading home the winner off an assist from Stephane Njike.
Jamie Clark secured his 200th victory for Washington on October 30 in a 2-1 win over Maryland, bringing his career coaching record to 239-91-48 over 19 seasons.