If you need a reminder that conference play is a grind, one glance at the women’s soccer standings will do the trick. At the top sit Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, and UCLA in a four-way tie for first place with 12 points (4-1). Breathing right down their necks in another four-way logjam at 10 points (3-1-1) are Northwestern, Penn State, Washington, and Wisconsin.
With eight teams separated by a mere two points, every single point matters.
First vs. Second Showdowns
Saturday has a pair of fixtures where second-place teams take aim at the league leaders.
First, No. 7 Ohio State defends its spot against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have built their success on defense, leading the Big Ten with just four goals allowed behind goalkeeper Peighton Northrup (.892 save percentage). She’ll face a Wildcat attack sparked by Camryn Freeman, who scored her first two career goals against Indiana.
On the other end, Ohio State’s Amanda Schlueter — the first player in program history to reach 100 career points — is tied for the conference lead with 10 goals. Schlueter and the Buckeye attack are tasked with cracking a Northwestern unit riding back-to-back shutouts, anchored by netminder Nyamma Nelson (5 shutouts, 0.64 GAA).
Later, co-leader Purdue brings a historic attack into its matchup with Penn State. Off to their fastest 10-win start since 2007, the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten with a staggering 45 goals — 20 more than any other team — fueled by 10-goal scorer Jaiden Anderson and four more of the conference's top-10 goal scorers. Purdue runs into a brick wall: Penn State hasn't allowed more than a single goal in eight straight matches, backed by netminder Mackenzie Gress (0.73 GAA, .833 save percentage).
Both games will be on B1G+, starting with Wildcats-Buckeyes at 5 p.m. ET and Boilermakers-Nittany Lions at 7 p.m. ET.
Bruins Head North for Pacific Rivalry
Riding three consecutive shutout victories, No. 10 UCLA visits Oregon. The Bruins' defense has surrendered just two goals across five conference games, spearheaded by two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Paloma Daubert. Expect a defensive match against an Oregon squad allowing just six goals all year behind keepers Kailey Kimball and Gray Willson. You can catch the game on Friday night at 9 p.m. ET on B1G+.
Spartans vs. Star Goalie in Champaign
On Sunday, the conference's highest-ranked team takes center stage as No. 2 Michigan State travels to face Illinois. The Spartans feature one of the nation's most lethal attacking duos in Kennedy Bell and Kayla Briggs, who have combined for 32 points. They face a tough test against Illini goalkeeper Izzy Lee, who leads the Big Ten with seven shutouts this season. Find it on B1G+ at 2 p.m. ET.
The matchups don’t stop there:
There’s even more on the slate, and you won’t want to miss it. Check out the complete schedule here.
Photo from ohiostatebuckeyes.com