Washington Huskies Win Big Ten Tournament After Draw with Michigan State

St. Louis, Mo. – The Washington Huskies secured the Big Ten Tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament today, defeating the Michigan State Spartans 4-1 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the championship game.

All scoring occurred within the first 11 minutes of play. Washington took an early lead at 3:03 when Kalea Eichenberger converted a rebound, and Michigan State quickly responded with a penalty kick goal from Kayla Briggs at the 11-minute mark – her sixth goal of the season. Despite the early exchange, the remainder of regulation and two overtime periods remained scoreless. Michigan State dominated possession, finishing the first half with 70% control and outshooting Washington 16-6 overall, but couldn’t find the back of the net again.

Michigan State goalkeeper Noelle Henning made three crucial saves during the overtime periods to keep the Spartans in the game, while Washington’s Tanner Ijams proved decisive in the penalty shootout, stopping three of Michigan State’s attempts. This victory marks Washington’s first Big Ten Tournament title. The NCAA Tournament selection show will determine the seeding and opponents for both teams; a strong showing in the conference tournament significantly boosts a team’s chances of hosting early-round games. You can find more information about the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship on the official NCAA website.

This was Michigan State’s second appearance in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, having previously lost to Penn State in 2022. Despite the loss, the Spartans’ six-game unbeaten streak continues and they now await the announcement of their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday afternoon at 4 pm ET. Michigan State Athletics confirmed that Emerson Sargeant was named to the All-Tournament Team.