When the calendar flips to October, Indiana men’s soccer turns on another gear. Over the past four years, the 10th month of the year has been a dominant one for Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley.
Since 2021, Indiana has sported a record of 24-5-6 in October. Last year, the Hoosiers went undefeated during that span — netting seven wins and a tie against Washington in the previous match between the two schools.
Now, with another matchup on tap between the two programs, Yeagley understands the importance of the match at hand.
“This could be one heck of a game,” Yeagley said during media availability Wednesday. “They’re a good side, so it could be a tight match... it might come down to whoever is able to make a big-time play. They have a tough group.”
Murador emerging in the front line
After a preseason when junior forward Clay Murador not only recorded two assists but flashed his speed, skill and agility, too, injury struck.
Murador missed the first five matches of the year due to an unspecified lower body muscle injury. In his absence, the Hoosiers went 4-1-0 to start the year.
But getting a healthy Murador back was crucial for the Hoosiers, although Yeagley and his coaching staff had to ease the junior forward back onto the pitch.
“We’re still trying to be smart with him because we need to have the best chips available down the stretch,” Yeagley said. “He won’t only be a first half or second half guy only, he’ll be able to hopefully play the full 90 (minutes) soon.”
It only seemed like a matter of time before Murador would break through, and it ultimately came sooner rather than later. And finally, after the long wait, Murador's moment arrived Sept. 26.
In the first 45 minutes of Indiana’s 4-2 victory over UCLA at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington, Murador scored his first career collegiate goal and tallied two assists. He was the Swiss Army Knife that the Hoosiers needed to secure the hard-fought victory.
After the UCLA match, Murador said he felt like there was “a weight lifted off his shoulders” but credited his teammates for both his and Indiana’s success, particularly the attacking line.
Murador will look to carry his personal-best all-around performance last match into Friday’s affair in Seattle.
History between the programs
Washington officially moving to the Big Ten Conference in August 2024, and Indiana faced the Huskies last season in a match that resulted in a tie. This was the first match between the schools as Big Ten opponents, but both programs have a small head-to-head history.
Friday’s match will mark the fourth time both schools have faced off against each other in the regular season. The other four matches have come in the NCAA Tournament with Indiana holding a 4-2-1 record all-time over the Huskies.
One of the notable matches between the schools was in the second round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. In the match, the Hoosiers defeated the Huskies 2-0 en route to their fifth College Cup and second-straight title.
Meet the Huskies
Washington holds one more win than Indiana in conference play up to this point in the year. The Huskies enter the match Friday with an overall record of 6-3-2 (3-1-0 Big Ten).
Washington beat Michigan State, Wisconsin and Northwestern in Big Ten play to stand alone atop the Big Ten standings.
Washington head coach Jamie Clark has led the Huskies to a 178-68-41 record throughout his 15 years in Seattle, according to Washington Athletics. Clark has led Washington to 11 NCAA Tournaments, including a birth to the finals in 2021, when it fell short to Clemson University.
This season, the Huskies feature a formidable attack led by senior midfielder Richie Aman and sophomore midfielder Zach Ramsey.
Aman and Ramsey lead Washington in points with 13. Aman has collected three goals and seven assists while Ramsey has put up five goals and three assists this year. They will both be important factors for Washington in this match.
The match is slated to kick off at 10 p.m. Friday and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer and matfuent@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men's soccer season.
