Three overtime games, two upsets, and a penalty shootout in the 2026 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament Presented by Allstate have set the stage for Friday night’s championship game, where No. 3 seed Purdue will face No. 4 seed Michigan State in West Lafayette. 
 
The Boilers and Spartans met earlier this season when Purdue came back to upset then-No. 2 Michigan State 2-1. The Spartans were able to hold Big Ten Forward of the Year Jaiden Anderson in check, but Emilia Deppe and Irene Campo came through for Purdue. Full story here. 
 
But that was last month, and now this Michigan State squad is hungry not only for redemption against Purdue, but also in the Big Ten title match. The Spartans fell to Washington in PKs in the 2025 championship game. 
 
The difference here will come down to if Michigan State’s defense can hold up against Purdue’s offensive power. MSU keeper Noelle Henning, who’s second in the league with a 0.61 goals against average, made six saves in the teams’ October showdown. But Purdue averages a Big Ten-leading 3.33 goals per game behind Anderson (19 goals, second nationally), and not a single team has shut out its offense this season. 
 
If the Spartan defense can hold off long enough for Kennedy Bell — last season’s Big Ten Forward of the Year — and the attack to find the back of the net, it could be Michigan State hoisting the hardware. But, if Purdue’s multi-weapon arsenal proves to be too much again, the Boilers will earn their first tournament title since 2007. 
 
Tune in for the championship game at 6 p.m. ET on Friday on Big Ten Network.