University of Washington
Denver
Huskies Open 2025 Season at No. 4 Denver
August 20, 2025 | Men's Soccer
The game will be broadcast on the Summit League Network with live stats available at Huskystats.com.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Washington faces a top-five Denver to begin the 2025 campaign on Thursday, August 21. The Pioneers are a familiar non-conference opponent, as the two teams will face off for the third time since 2019. In the most recent matchup in 2024, the Huskies battled to a 2-2 draw with No. 9 Denver at Husky Soccer Stadium.
This Thursday's matchup is the Huskies' highest-ranked opponent during the opening weekend of the season since taking on No. 1 Connecticut in 2001.
Last season, Denver advanced to the NCAA national semifinal game, falling in penalties to the eventual national champion, Vermont. A season ago, the Pioneers amassed a 15-3-5 record, including a 7-1 run in conference play and a stout 9-1-1 while playing at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
SERIES HISTORY
The Huskies and Pioneers have met on nine occasions, resulting in a 3-3-3 record dating back to the first meeting between the teams in 1999.
LAST MEETING (8/29/24)
SEATTLE – In a back-and-forth battle, Washington and No. 9 Denver ended in a 2-2 draw on Thursday night at Husky Soccer Stadium.
Since the 2019 season, the Huskies are 13-3-5 against ranked opponents in the regular season. UW moves to 1-1-1 overall on the season.
Denver (2-0-1) got the scoring started in the 23rd minute on goal by Sam Bassett.
Harrison Bertos recorded his second career goal in the 63rd minute to tie the match up at one off the corner by Peter Kingston. True freshman Zach Ramsey, coming on as a sub to start the second half for his first collegiate minutes, picked up his first career point with the first touch assist, heading the ball to Bertos.
The Pioneers retook the lead in the 81st on a ball that just got over the back line.
The Huskies responded four minutes later with Egor Akulov's first career goal to re-tie the match, the second set piece goal of the match.
Kingston assisted on both goals, his second career match with a pair of assists.
MIDFIELDER TO WATCH
Senior Richie Aman has been named a midfielder to watch by the United Soccer Coaches. Aman is one of 31 players recognized in the organization's list.
United Soccer Coaches has announced the Midfielders on its NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Players to Watch lists for the 2025 intercollegiate season. The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2024 who are scheduled to return for the 2025 season.
Aman was named a Big Ten Player to Watch a season ago, and was a consistent force for the Huskies on the pitch. He led Washington to a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament after playing in all 21 matches, making 18 starts.
The Hanover, New Hampshire native registered 33 shots in 2024, the second-most of any Husky. He returns to Montlake for his senior season after being invited to the MLS Showcase last year. He has 17 career points, the most of any returning player.
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Egor Akulov, Richie Aman, and Charlie Kosakoff each were recognized as Big Ten Players to Watch.
Akulov, a redshirt junior defender, started all 21 games a season ago and amassed 1921, the second most minutes on the team, trailing only starting goalkeeper Jadon Bowton. The Redmond, Washington native tallied two goals on the season, and went the distance, playing every minute of 20 games, including 110 minutes against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament and Seattle U in the NCAA Tournament. Akulov was instrumental in helping the Huskies advance to the second round of the national tournament, scoring the winning penalty of the penalty shootout to send the Huskies to the next round.
Aman, a senior midfielder, figures to be a focal point of the Huskies' attack. Last week, he was also named a Midfielder to Watch by United Soccer Coaches. Aman leads all returning players with 17 career points, including a career-high seven points a season ago. He has four goals and nine assists to his name and he set career-high marks in 2024 in games played (21), games started (18), goals (2), points (7), shots (33), shots on goal (12), and minutes (1455).
Kosakoff, a junior forward, will be a leader on offense for Washington in 2025. With five goals and four assists last season, the San Diego native will again look to lead from the front. Kosakoff played in 20 matches in 2024, making 16 starts. Twice last season he tied his career-best points total when he scored a goal and chipped in an assist against Air Force and at Indiana.
PICKED FIFTH IN CONFERENCE
Entering year two in the Big Ten conference, Washington has been picked to place fifth in the 11-team league, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Washington finished 8-6-7 last season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies ended the season with a 4-3-3 record in Big Ten play, finishing fourth in the league with 15 points.
2025 Big Ten Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Indiana
Maryland
Ohio State
UCLA
Washington
Michigan
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Rutgers
Penn State
Northwestern
ACADEMIC PROWESS
Thanks to a dominant year in the classroom, Washington Men's Soccer was named a United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award Winner on Friday.
The academic honor is presented to teams that earn an annual GPA of 3.0 or higher. The University of Washington was one of 151 schools to receive the honor for both men's and women's programs.
The Huskies earned a 3.53 GPA across the 2024-25 school year and most recently had 14 athletes named to the Dean's List in the spring quarter.
CLARK INKS EXTENSION
Following UW's first season in the Big 10 and their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 14 years, head coach Jamie Clark signed an extension at the University of Washington, tying him to the Huskies through 2029.
Washington has become a postseason regular under Clark and has consistently earned results in the national tournament. The Huskies secured their ninth second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after advancing out of a penalty shootout against Seattle U.
In 2021, Clark guided the Dawgs to a national runner up finish, the best result in program history, while also tying the program record for wins in a season with 18. The Huskies have finished with at least eight wins in 13 of Clark's 14 at the helm and have claimed at least 12 wins 11 times since his appointment as head coach.
NATIONAL TV
Three Husky men's soccer games will be broadcast on national television, the Big Ten Conference announced on Thursday. Washington will feature on the Big Ten Network in two road games and one home game during the 2025 regular season.
The first televised action for the Dawgs comes on Monday, September 29 as Washington travels to Illinois to take on Northwestern. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. PT between the Huskies and the Wildcats.
The second televised game comes with the beautiful backdrop of Lake Washington at Husky Soccer Stadium when Indiana visits Montlake on Friday, October 3 at 7 p.m. PT.
The Huskies will feature on TV again on the road later in the month against Penn State. This final regular season televised game will take place on Monday, October 20 at 3 p.m. PT.
Washington Matches broadcast live on Big Ten Network
Sept. 9 - at Northwestern - 5 p.m. PT
Oct. 3 - vs. Indiana - 7 p.m. PT
Oct. 20 - at Penn State - 3 p.m. PT
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Washington's roster features 19 of 29 players who hail from the state of Washington. Four players claim Seattle as their hometown (Asher Hestad, Joe Dale, Cameron Cruz, and Jaeger Felton), while two each are from Spokane (Kenny Pierpoint and Jadon Bowton), and from Bellevue (Sheehan Ganguly and Chad Sovde).
BETWEEN THE STICKS
Washington returns goalkeeper Jadon Bowton for the 2025 season who figures to be instrumental for the Husky defense. He was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week twice in 2024 and led Washington to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after making three penalty saves in a row against Seattle U in the first round.
His eight shutouts in 2024 were the ninth-most in the NCAA and the sixth-most in a single season in Husky history He also has participated in mental health activations for UW. Following his fifth year of soccer this fall, he plans to begin working a tech job in Seattle.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Junior defender Harrison Bertos made 20 starts in 2024 and helped UW to top-50 marks in the NCAA in goals against average and shutout percentage.
Bertos was selected in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft, but decided to return to Washington for his junior season in 2025.
CREAM OF THE CROP
In 14 season on Montlake, Jamie Clark has orchestrated the meteoric rise of Washington men's soccer, distinguishing the team as one of the nation's top college soccer programs. During his time at Washington, Clark has led the Huskies to a record of 174-66-39, three Pac-12 titles, and 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Of those postseason appearances, Clark's Huskies have made four trips to the NCAA Quarterfinals, including three straight NCAA Quarterfinals appearances from 2019-21.
Clark currently ranks seventh in winning percentage among active head coaches with a .696 percentage in 17 career seasons.
FRESH FACES
The Huskies welcomed six freshmen to the squad this fall. Kenny Pierpoint (GK), Clarens Dollin (MF/F), Carter Gay (D), Kevin Hernandez (MF), Zack Meier (D), and Osato Enabulele (MF) all enter their first season on Montlake.
In addition to the first years, the Huskies also welcomed Cameron Cruz (MF), a transfer from Grand Canyon to the squad.
USL 2 SUCCESS
For the third consecutive year, at least one Husky lifted the USL 2 Championship trophy. This season, Alex Hall and Gabe Fernandez were victorious with the Vermont Green FC, defeating Ballard FC in the championship game.
The Huskies were well represented on the opposite side of the ball as well. Eight current and former Huskies represented the Bridges in the championship game, including current players Richie Aman, Harrison Bertos, Cameron Cruz, Joe Dale, Charlie Kosakoff, and Zach Ramsey.
ECNL CHAMPIONS
Four incoming Huskies won the ECNL National Championship with Crossfire Premier over the summer. Zack Meier, Kenny Pierpoint, Kevin Hernandez, and Clarens Dollin were victorious. Meier also was named the tournament MVP.
FOLLOW THE DAWGS
Fans can keep up with all the goings on around the Washington men's soccer program by following the Huskies on the team's various social media platforms. You can find the Dawgs on X at @UW_MSoccer, on Instagram at @uw_msoccer or on Facebook by searching "Washington Men's Soccer". Fans can also follow the Huskies through the men's soccer page at GoHuskies.com.
