University of Washington
Penn State
Conference Slate Opens Against Penn State On Friday
September 10, 2026 | Men's Soccer
SEATTLE - Washington opens Big Ten play on Friday night, hosting Penn State at Husky Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Plus with live stats available at Huskystats.com.
HUSKIES CONCLUDE THREE-GAME HOME STAND
Washington wraps up a three-game home stand with the conference opener against Penn State on Friday night. The Huskies first match in the all-time series against Penn State came in 1996 and it was the only matchup until the Dawgs joined the Big Ten Conference in 2024. The Huskies earned a win against Penn State in both 2024 and 2025 conference play, with a 2-1 win against the Nittany Lions in University Park last season.
The Huskies are 3-0-0 in the all-time series with PSU.
4-0 SHUTOUT AGAINST UC DAVIS
The Huskies thrashed UC Davis on the way to a 4-0 victory last week. Callum Lugton made his first start for the Huskies and delivered immediately. He was the Husky to open the scoring in the 11th minute. Hestad curled a ball perfectly in front of goal for Lugton who launched the ball at the goal where the keeper got a touch, but couldn't keep the ball out.
It was Lugton's first Washington goal and his first career goal. Cruz bagged his fourth assist of the year during the play, the most on the team. The Huskies continued to pepper the Aggie goal and were rewarded for their efforts. In the 23rd minute, after a barrage of shots, Emmett Layman played a short ball for Osato Enabulele who rocketed in the second score.
In the 32nd minute, Zach Ramsey subbed on for the Huskies and immediately made his presence felt. He scored his first goal of the match in the 35th minute, converting a penalty earned by Shaun Brun. He'd end up scoring the fourth goal of the match as well, his third game of the season with at least two goals. He's also scored at least one goal in every game so far this year. The fourth goal began with a Connor Lofy interception in the Washington half. He sent the ball up to Kevin Hernandez who curled a perfect ball to a streaking Zach Ramsey. Ramsey controlled the ball and calmly stepped past the approaching goalkeeper. Despite the tight angle, Ramsey slotted the ball into the open net, securing his brace.
The Husky defense held strong, earning the second shutout of the season. Stockton Short anchored the defense, recording two saves on four UC Davis shots. Brun played the most minutes of any field player, logging 88. Asher Hestad and Egor Akulov logged 86 apiece while Zack Meier contributed 82.
FRESH THREADS
The Huskies revamped their white jerseys this season and will don the Unity Jersey for the first time on Friday night. The new kit features a unique fingerprint design that has the name of every UW men's soccer season ticket member in it.
STARTING HOT
Zach Ramsey is scorching hot to start the season, scoring nine goals. He's played in five of Washington's six games, scoring in every match he's featured. He's averaging 1.8 goals 3.80 points per game, both the best marks in the NCAA. Among his nine goals are the first hat trick in the NCAA this season against Gonzaga. It's also Washington's first hat trick since Ilijah Paul bagged three against Utah Valley on Sept. 2, 2022.
In addition to leading the nation in scoring and total points, Ramsey has been deadly accurate in front of goal. He's three for three from the penalty spot and has the best shot accuracy (0.750) in the conference and sixth-best in the NCAA. He's been ruthless as well, leading the nation in shots on goal per game (3.6).
PICKING UP STEAM
Washington is again displaying a dominant offense week in and week out. The Dawgs top-20 in a number of key metrics. The Huskies rank second in corner kicks per game (8.83), second in shots on goal per game (10.17), fifth in shots per game (19.83), 7th in total assists (18), seventh in total points (54), eighth in total goals (18), 11 in assists per game (3.00), 12th in points per game (9.00), 12th in scoring offense (3.00), and 20th in goal differential (8).
FRESH FACES ON THE SCENE
Multiple new Huskies made key contributions during the 4-0 shutout against UC Davis. Callum Lugton scored his first collegiate goal, the match winner, in his first Husky start. Emmett Layman got the nod in the starting XI as well, while Shaun Brun filled in for Harrison Bertos on the backline. Brun had an impressive showing, guiding the Washington defense to a shutout while conceding just four shots on the night.
TRANSFER POWER
Transfer players Stockton Short and Wyatt Lewis have made immediate impacts on Montlake, as both players have featured in all six matches this season.
Short, coming from Utah Tech, was selected by the Seattle Sounders in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, but opted to come to Washington for his fifth year of college soccer. He's helped the Huskies to two shutouts this season, including his first solo shutout in the purple and gold against UC Davis last week.
Lewis, from Notre Dame, has been a constant force in the midfield alongside Connor Lofy. He's played in all six games, starting five. He has one assist on the season but has had a far greater impact than the numbers might show. He's played more than 80 minutes in three games and has the seventh most minutes played on the team.
SOPHOMORE STRENGTH
Jamie Clark has relied heavily on his second-year players in the opening three weeks of the season. Zack Meier has been the go-to option at right back, starting each match and logging 488 minutes, the third-most on the team, trailing only Stockton Short and Egor Akulov.
Osato Enabulele has been showing off his versatility, playing both in the midfield and as a striker for Washington. The Texas native has played in all six matches and has two goals to his name.
Kevin Hernandez has also become a regular for the Huskies. He's played in all six matches with two starts and 305 total minutes of action. Like Enabulele, he's been used all around the pitch, even at defender. Hernandez has assisted two goals already and has four shots on target.
HUSKY DEBUTS
10 Huskies have seen the field for the first time so far this season.
Emmett Layman, Callum Lugton, Nate Chandler, Ibrahim Rashad, Harper Mikolasy, Shaun Brun, and Kenny Pierpoint each made their Washington debuts against Gonzaga. Stockton Short, Wyatt Lewis, and Jake Goetting each got their first minutes against San Diego.
TOP DRAWER PLAYERS
Three Huskies were named in the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best IX.
Harrison Bertos was named to the first team, Zach Ramsey claimed a spot on the second team, and Alex Hall earned a third team selection. Bertos also came in at No. 3 in the TDS preseason player rankings, with Ramsey at No. 12 and Alex Hall at No. 27.
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Harrison Bertos, Alex Hall, and Zach Ramsey were each picked as Big Ten Players to Watch. The trio played a pivotal role in the team's success a season ago, leading Washington to 16 wins, 54 total goals scored, and the pinnacle of college soccer.
PICKED TO TOP THE BIG TEN
The reigning national champions were tabbed the top team in the Big Ten this preseason as announced by the conference on Tuesday morning. Washington leads the way, followed by Maryland, Indiana, UCLA and Michigan in the top five.
It's no surprise the Huskies are picked as the top team in the conference. Washington is coming off its most successful season in history, which culminated with the 2025 national championship, the first title for the program.
PERUVIAN EXCURSION
Washington had the trip of a lifetime this summer, heading to Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu in the offseason. Washington began the trip with five days in the Andes mountains, exploring the rich history of the Incan capitol in Cusco and at the ancient city of Machu Picchu. Then, the Dawgs headed to Lima for the FISU international collegiate games.
The Huskies won the bronze medal and went undefeated in the the preseason tournament.
FIVE HUSKIES SELECTED IN MLS SUPERDRAFT
Five Huskies were selected in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, headlined by No. 8 overall selection Richie Aman by DC United. The MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist becomes the fifth Top-10 selection for the Huskies in the last five years.
Zach Ramsey was the second Husky off the board, going to the Vancouver Whitecaps at No. 17 in the first round. Joe Dale was next, going to the Seattle Sounders at the 51st overall pick in the second round.
Asher Hestad came off the board just five picks later, going to the Colorado Rapids with the 56th overall pick. Connor Lofy rounded out the draft class for the Huskies as he was selected with the 89th pick in the third round by Vancouver.
The five draft selections from Washington are the most of any team in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. It's also the most draft picks Washington has had selected since 2022 when five Huskies were also picked. Of the five picks, three are returning to Washington for the 2026 season. Ramsey, Hestad, and Lofy will once again suit up for the Huskies this fall.
ROAD DAWGS
Washington is the only team in NCAA history to win the title after six consecutive tournament games away from home. The Huskies defeated Oregon State, SMU, Stanford, and Maryland all at their opponents' home fields before winning two neutral site matches in the College Cup. The Huskies became just the second team ever to advance to the College Cup after four road victories in the NCAA Tournament in 2025. UMBC was the first to achieve the feat in 2014, ultimately falling in the semifinal round to Virginia.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
With the 2025 tournament win over SMU, Washington claimed its 12th win of the season, marking the 12th occasion in Jamie Clark's 15 years on Montlake the team has won at least 12 games. It's also the 12th time Clark has led the Huskies into the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to 2025, the last time the Huskies advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament was in 2021 when Washington made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Championship match.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Washington's roster features 20 of 29 players who hail from the state of Washington. Four players claim Seattle as their hometown (Asher Hestad, Noah Newman, Cameron Cruz, and Jaeger Felton), two are from Redmond (Egor Akulov and Zach Ramsey) and two others call Kirkland home (Zack Meier and Connor Lofy).
Of Washington's nine out of state players, four hail from California (Nate Chandler, Jake Goetting, Nick O'Brien, and Ibrahim Rashad), and one each from Oregon (Callum Lugton), Massachusetts (Harrison Bertos), Utah (Stockton Short), Texas (Osato Enabulele, and Missouri (Wyatt Lewis).
NEWCOMERS ON MONTLAKE
The Huskies welcomed 12 newcomers this season. Eight of the fresh faces are first year players while four are transfers.
Joining Washington as first years this fall are Shaun Brun (West Seattle, Wash.), Nate Chandler (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), Jordy Dierks (Lake Forest Park, Wash.), Anthony Garcia (Wenatchee, Wash.), Jake Goetting (Berkely, Calif.), Harper Mikolasy (Woodinville, Wash.), and Noah Newman (Seattle, Wash.). Emmett Layman (Point Loma Nazarene), Callum Lugton (Syracuse), Stockton Short (Utah Tech), and Wyatt Lewis (Notre Dame) make up the 2026 transfers.
POSTSEASON REGULARS
Washington has become a common name in the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. In the last 15 years, the Huskies have reached the tournament 12 times. Washington is also one of three teams to reach the College Cup twice in the last five years (Notre Dame & Clemson).
Only Washington and Clemson have reached the championship game twice in the last five years.
CREAM OF THE CROP
In 15 seasons 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. Clark has led the Huskies to a record of 193-74-42, three Pac-12 titles, 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament and a national championship in 2025. Of those postseason appearances, Clark's Huskies have made five trips to the NCAA Quarterfinals, including three straight NCAA Quarterfinals appearances from 2019-21 and two College Cup runs in 2021 and 2025.
Clark currently ranks eighth in winning percentage among active head coaches with a .696 percentage and is in his 19th season.
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