Though UCLA and Wisconsin have both been fueled by strong defenses, the conference’s only ranked matchup of the weekend provided a seven-goal thriller with the home team Badgers coming out on top. The biggest story, however, came in Piscataway where Rutgers did what it’d done already this season: down a top-three opponent.
Rutgers Upsets No. 2 Indiana
On Friday, Sept. 18, Rutgers sent shockwaves across the Big Ten with a win over No. 3 Ohio State in Piscataway. Fast forward 28 days, and the Scarlet Knights pulled off another stunner, defeating No. 2 Indiana 1-0 to hand the Hoosiers their first loss of the season.
Behind a stellar effort from the Rutgers defense — who held an Indiana offense that ranks among the conference’s best to just one shot on goal — the game stayed scoreless until the 72nd minute. That’s where the Scarlet Knights found their breakthrough, with Francesco Di Ponzio following his own blocked shot to tuck the ball into the far-right corner.
The win marked Rutgers’ highest-ranked victory in the Jim McElderry era and its second over a top-three opponent this season; it also improved the Scarlet Knights to 4-2 against top-15 opponents in 2026. Read about the historic win here.
Badgers Outlast Bruins in Seven-Goal Chaos
Entering Friday night’s top-20 showdown in Madison, No. 10 UCLA and No. 18 Wisconsin had two of the Big Ten’s hottest defenses, with the Bruins allowing just two goals in three games prior and the Badgers conceding only eight on the season. But Friday’s duel turned into a seven-goal affair, with Wisconsin coming out on top 4-3.
UCLA took the first lead of the night in the 11th minute on Jaime Amaro’s sixth goal of the season, but it did not take Wisconsin much time to respond, with Roman Eisa rising above defenders to head the ball into the top left corner. The game stayed tied until the 34th minute when Markie Hrvojevic recorded his team-leading fifth goal of the season, but the Bruins answered within a minute courtesy of Diego Castano.
The game stayed tied 2-2 going into the second half, but the Badgers retook the lead quickly with Matthew Zachemski scoring a penalty kick. In a back-and-forth battle, it was only right that the Bruins tied with a spot kick of their own – Castano's second goal of the tilt. But Wisconsin had the final word: in the 75th minute, senior captain Ellis Jones delivered the final blow, firing home the game-winner off an assist from Aidan Martinez to seal a thrilling 4–3 upset victory for the Badgers.
It was Wisconsin’s first win over a top-10 opponent since 2023, moving them to 2-2-3 in conference play. The Bruins suffered their first loss in over a month, falling to 3-2-2. More from Madison.
Between the upset in Piscataway to the ranked nail-biter in Madison, the weekend did not disappoint. Check out the full standings and upcoming schedule, including the No. 2 Hoosiers trying to bounce back against Ohio State.