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As Big Ten Men’s Soccer enters the heart of conference play, the weekend slate is headlined by a top-10 matchup in Bloomington and the conference’s best attack taking on one of the top defenses.
Maryland and Indiana Collide in Powerhouse Clash
Big Ten play has given us plenty of fireworks, and now, we get a matchup between the conference’s highest-ranked teams when No. 6 Maryland heads to Bloomington to face No. 2 Indiana.
Indiana leads the Big Ten with 10 points, already battle-tested after knocking off then-No. 16 Washington and drawing with then-No. 12 Wisconsin. Friday brings the toughest test yet, hosting a Maryland squad boasting three top-10 wins this season. It features a strength-on-strength showdown between Maryland’s dynamic forwards and an Indiana defense that’s given up a league-low five goals.
The matchup hinges on elite goaltending. Hoosiers keeper Michal Mroz (0.50 GAA) will be tested by Terps forwards Rodrigo Neri and Said El Eyssami (four goals each), while reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Laurin Mack (conference-leading 4.13 saves per game) tries to lock down Indiana’s attack, led by Oliver Moller-Jensen (seven goals, second in the Big Ten).
You won’t want to miss this one. Tune in on Big Ten Network, Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Battle of the W’s: Wisconsin Heads West to Face Defending Champions
The ranked slate continues when No. 15 Washington welcomes No. 19 Wisconsin. With vital points on the line, one of the conference’s stingiest defenses faces its most lethal attack — and arguably the nation’s top player.
Whenever the defending champions take the field, all eyes are on Zach Ramsey, whose nation-leading 14 goals double the Big Ten’s second-best mark. Supported by Alex Hall and Osato Enabulele, Ramsey anchors a Huskies attack with a conference-best 30 goals. They will test a Badgers backline allowing just 0.89 goals per game.
Wisconsin enters its fifth straight ranked matchup still seeking its first conference victory. To break through, the Badgers need a spark from an attack led by Markie Hrvojevic (four goals) and Matthew Zachemski (three goals) after managing just two tallies in four games. They’ll have to solve Washington keeper Stockton Short, who has surrendered only two goals across his last three outings.
It’s a simple verdict in Seattle: Washington keeps rolling, or Wisconsin captures its biggest victory of the fall. Tune in Friday at 10 p.m. ET on B1G+.
More This Weekend
As Big Ten play escalates, this weekend’s games will play a key role in shaping the tournament field, including:
After winning its first three Big Ten games, No. 8 Michigan State travels west to face UCLA. Expect goals, with two of the conference’s top offenses (2.56 and 2 goals per game, respectively) squaring off.
Every game is going to matter. Check out the complete schedule here.
Photo from iuhoosiers.com