The Big Ten Men’s Soccer race was as close as it could be from start to finish, but on Wednesday night, a winner was finally decided: the Indiana Hoosiers. With a ranked win and results falling in their favor out west, the Hoosiers claimed the 20th regular-season championship in program history.
Take a look back at how the dramatic final day of the regular season unfolded across the conference.
Hoosiers Hoist Big Ten Trophy
In a thrilling regular-season finale at Bill Armstrong Stadium, No. 4 Indiana clinched the conference title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over No. 16 Michigan State. Led by a multi-goal first half from Easton Bogard and a tally from Charlie Heuer, Indiana fended off the Spartans to cement its status at the conference’s summit.
The Hoosiers set the tone with Bogard opening the scoring in the 28th minute off a slick combination play from Alex Barger and Heuer. Just over two minutes later, he capitalized on a rebound from a Heuer shot to double the lead, sending Indiana into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 cushion.
Michigan State fought back immediately after the break, cutting the deficit to 2-1 on an Andrew Darakdjian header in the 47th minute for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. But Indiana answered right back when Heuer finished off a pass from Michael Adu-Gyamfi in the 49th minute to restore the two-goal margin. Though Richie Ludwig brought the Spartans within one again in the 55th minute, four saves from Michal Mroz helped the Hoosiers hold firm under late pressure.
With the win, Indiana clinched its 20th regular season title —14 more than any other program — and the No. 1 seed in the 2026 Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament. Michigan State secured the No. 4 seed. More from the champs.
Bruins’ Midfield Goal Powers Win Over Huskies
No offense has been better in the regular season than No. 6 Washington, which has the most goals in the conference behind the nation’s leading goalscorer, Zach Ramsey (18 goals). But the final night of the regular season belonged to No. 25 UCLA, who stifled the Huskies in a 1-0 win to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament.
Though Washington and UCLA each rank in the top five in the conference in goals, there was only one on the night — and it was one of the wildest scores of the season. Diego Castano settled the ball on the Bruins’ defensive half and launched a shot over Husky keeper Stockton Short and into the net from over 50 yards out.
On the other side, the UCLA defense held Washington in check all night. Freshman keeper Tristan Shaw made two saves, one just 11 seconds before Castano’s goal. His team-leading eighth goal of the season was enough to earn the Bruins’ victory.
With the win, UCLA clinched the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament, where it will face No. 3 Rutgers. While the Huskies were on the wrong side of the result, they don’t have to wait long for revenge if UCLA wins, as Jamie Clark’s squad will face the victor in Seattle as the No. 2 seed. Read more from Los Angeles.
The regular season is in the books, and it’s officially tournament time. Check out the complete tournament central as the postseason gets underway.