Dante Washington still holds several records at Radford University in men’s soccer and will be honored next month as the newest member of the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.
Radford University and Big South Hall of Fame member Dante Washington will be joining another hall of fame as he is set to be inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame on May 11. Washington joins six additional honorees as part of the 44th class to be inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.
As a freshman for Radford in 1988, Washington immediately burst onto the Big South soccer scene with his amazing talent. He led the Highlanders to the Big South Tournament championship that season with a school-record 27 goals scored and 22 assists for a Big South single-season record 76 points – a Conference record that still stands today. The All-Conference selection also led the nation in scoring in 1988. In that first season, he scored six goals in a game and dished out four assists in another.
Washington missed the 1989 season due to a broken ankle but came back in 1990 and picked up where he left off as he tallied 23 goals and 18 assists for 64 total points to again lead all of NCAA Division I in scoring. He earned his second All-Conference honor that season and was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First-Team All-Region selection.
In 1991, Washington led the Highlanders to a school-best 15-4-2 overall record and the regular-season Big South championship. He was voted Big South Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring for the third time. He tallied 16 goals and 14 assists for 46 points and became the Big South’s all-time leading goal scorer and point scorer during that season.
He became Radford’s first Division I consensus First-Team All-American in 1991 and was also the state of Virginia’s Player of the Year. Washington also participated on the U.S. Under-23 team in 1991 and became the first African-American to score a goal for the U.S. National Team.
Washington earned more attention in the summer of 1992 when he played for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team at the Barcelona Olympic Games, where he led the team with six goals in qualifying action. Washington concluded his collegiate career later that fall with his fourth All-Conference honor.
He posted 13 goals and 11 assists in his senior season to finish his brilliant career with 82 goals scored, 66 assists and 230 total points – all Radford and Big South Conference records. His 82 goals scored still rank eighth all-time in NCAA history.
Washington earned a double major in history and political science while at Radford, earning adidas Scholar-Athlete All-American honors in 1992. He moved onto the professional circuit and later joined Major League Soccer in 1996 as a member of the Columbus Crew during their inaugural season. He played three games for the Crew before moving onto the Dallas Burn later that season. He spent just over three years in Dallas and helped the Burn reach the playoffs every season with the squad.
In 1997, he was named an MLS All-Star and scored a goal in the All-Star Game. He finished 1997 with 12 goals and six assists and tallied two playoff scores as well. In all, Washington scored 24 goals during his time in Dallas.
Washington re-joined the Crew in 2000 and earned his second All-Star distinction that year. He scored a career-high 15 goals in addition to nine assists for Columbus, notching a goal and an assist in the 2000 All-Star Game. Washington and the Crew made the playoffs in 2001, 2002 and 2004 before he moved onto Real Salt Lake in 2005.
He played nine games for Real Salt Lake in what would be his final MLS season. Washington spent nine seasons in MLS and scored 57 goals and had 31 assists in 189 career regular-season and playoff games. He still ranks as the Crew’s 12th all-time leading goal scorer with 28.
–RU Athletics
