Following Wednesday night’s semifinals, the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament is down to two after a pair of razor-thin victories. On Sunday, they will meet with the conference crown on the line.
Hoosiers to Host Tournament Final
The first semifinal went the way of top seed Indiana, who defeated Maryland 1-0. After claiming their 20th Big Ten title, the Hoosiers will play in the championship game for the 24th time in program history.
Though Indiana outshot Maryland 9-3 in the first half, the teams went to the locker rooms scoreless. After the second-half whistle, it did not take Indiana long to break the deadlock, with Easton Bogard finding the loose ball in a corner-kick scrum and rocketing it into the net.
While the
Hoosiers had chances to extend the lead, the game stayed 1-0. With its third-straight ranked victory and second consecutive top-10 win, Indiana improved to 5-0-1 against top-25 opponents while reaching 15 wins and nine shutouts — the program’s highest totals in each category since the 2023 NCAA Quarterfinal squad
. Read more from Bloomington.
Huskies Head to Championship Game
In a match that went all the way to penalties, it was No. 2 seed Washington who defeated No. 3 seed Rutgers to advance to the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament Final.
Just like the first semifinal, the first half was a scoreless affair despite Rutgers having a 7-5 shot advantage. The Scarlet Knights struck first in the 66th minute when Simon Gorczowski scored off a corner kick. But, 11 minutes later, Washington responded courtesy of its go-to guy: Zach Ramsey. The nation’s leading scorer had his penalty kick saved, but he skied the rebound off the crossbar and in off a half-volley.
It was Ramsey’s 19th goal of the season, which ties the Washington single-season record set by Craig Beeson in 1987. From there, the Huskies showed their championship mettle, more than doubling Rutgers’ chances in the second half. In overtime, they created opportunities but could not find the decisive goal.
That took us to penalties, where Stockton Short stopped the first two Rutgers attempts. While the Scarlet Knights clawed back to make it 2-2 entering the fifth round, a crossbar shot gave Clarens Dollin the chance he needed to finish it.
With the win, the defending national champions punched their ticket to the championship match, setting up a heavyweight clash in Bloomington against top-seeded Indiana — a team the Huskies battled with atop the Big Ten standings all season long. Hear from the Huskies.
One More Game.
No. 1 seed Indiana and No. 2 seed Washington were neck-and-neck the entire season, including in their October matchup in Bloomington, where the Hoosiers won 1-0. Those three points ended up being crucial for the Hoosiers in winning the Big Ten regular season race and the tournament’s top seed. Now, the two will meet again in Bloomington with much more on the line. The winner will be named the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament Champion and clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Tune in on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network for the championship game, or head to Bloomington and see the action in person.