Women's Soccer

Purdue's Big Upset Leaves Two Teams at the Top

Boilers’ statement keeps UCLA and Ohio State tied for first with Purdue and Washington two points behind

With only a few games remaining in the regular season, Purdue has made its way into the Big Ten title picture with a massive upset, while Ohio State and UCLA recorded key wins to maintain their position at the top of the Big Ten Women’s Soccer standings. But Washington and Purdue are both waiting in the wings with pivotal matchups against the Bruins and Buckeyes (respectively) on the horizon — take a look. 

Can You Hear Them Now? Boilers Score Signature Upset

Purdue has officially put the nation on notice with its second straight ranked victory, this time over No. 2 Michigan State! In a battle between the Big Ten’s best offenses, the Boilers trailed 1-0 in the second minute after Kayla Briggs found the back of the net for the Spartans. Then, Purdue did what Purdue does best: score.  

Just six minutes later, Emilia Deppe’s cross had barely enough speed to find the equalizer, and Irene Campo converted a penalty for the go-ahead goal just over a minute into the second half. The Spartans threatened down the stretch, but four-second half saves from Grace Miller secured the statement victory. 
 


The Boilers’ win extinguishes the momentum of an elite Michigan State squad that had outscored its opponents 11-2 across four consecutive wins and puts Purdue in second place in the Big Ten title race. Read Purdue's story. 
 

Standings Update 

The league’s top eight teams will qualify for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament for a shot at a conference title and an NCAA Tournament bid. Heading into the final quarter of the season, the other teams near the top of the table took care of business: 
 

  • No. 10 UCLA beat Illinois 2-1 to maintain its 7-1 (B1G), 21-point first-place tie with... 

  • Right behind the leaders and tied with Purdue is defending Big Ten Champion and No. 13-ranked Washington (6-1-1 B1G, 19 points), who won its matchup against Penn State 1-0. 

  • No. 2 Michigan State now sits in third at 6-2 (B1G) with 18 points. 

See the full standings and get ready for the upcoming action by checking out the schedule. 

Photo credit: @PurdueSoccer on X.