It was a game where Oregon shouldn’t have had a chance. It was a game that should’ve been a clear win for the Washington Huskies, and yet the Ducks clawed their way to an unlikely and improbable upset. 

In the 87th minute of the game, the Ducks got a chance when Washington defender Kolo Suliafu picked up her second yellow card, sending sixth year forward Taylor Bryan to the ground, resulting in a red card for Suliafu. In an already foul heavy game, Oregon fans were elated to see the red card go up late.

With the crowd holding its breath, Ella Osmussen took the free kick. Junior forward Lauren Kenny crashed toward the net, and after the ball bounced off the far post, she tapped in the winning goal on the goal line in the 88th minute and sent Papé Field into an uproar it hasn’t heard in conference play this year.

The Ducks (3-10-5, 1-6-4 Big Ten) took on their rival, the No. 8 Huskies (11-2-5, 8-1-2 Big Ten) in the last game of regular season Big Ten play on Sunday. The Huskies were named the Big Ten Women’s regular-season champions last week after beating No. 15 Wisconsin and clinching the No. 1 seed in the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament. Oregon, meanwhile, was still looking for its first Big Ten win of the year.

With a new coaching staff, the inaugural season for them did not go as planned, with two overall wins and zero in Big Ten play before Sunday. Taking that storyline into the final two minutes of play, head coach Tracey Joyner looked to have to wait until next season for her first conference win, but Kenny made sure she got it today. 

The physicality between both teams was on full display with fouls being a commonality on both sides throughout the game. The Huskies and the Ducks had seven yellow cards between them and a red card. Washington out-fouled Oregon 21-18, which was ultimately the team’s demise. 

The fouls started early, with Washington’s forward Alex Buck, who picked up two fouls within the first ten minutes of play. Washington picked up 13 fouls in the first half, and Oregon managed to get some offense going off the ensuing set pieces, but its inability to get open in the midfield afterward quelled those chances.

The Huskies had an early opportunity to score in the 17th minute.  With a cross into the box, sixth year keeper Caeley Goldstein didn’t have enough time to get back. Sophomore midfielder Carly Cormack was on the goal line instead, and took the header in the stomach before clearing it out.

“She throws her body around really well,” Joyner said. “(She) does a great job of getting in the way and disrupting, and just finding a way to impact.”

With a corner that led to another free kick, Oregon finally got its first shot on goal 30 minutes into the game. The Ducks had little pressure besides the shot on goal, and the Huskies defense cleared the ball out. 

Despite the Huskies leading in fouls, Oregon was the first to get a yellow card on the day. Sophomore midfielder Abella Hunter and a Husky got tangled up, and Hunter took the card. 

The Ducks got the first goal of the match just after the 34th minute. The Huskies were unable to clear the ball after goalkeeper Tanner Ijams made an initial save and was unable to get back to the line before Cormack hammered her third goal of the year. The goal was reviewed for offside, but stood. 

Bloom took a yellow card near the top of the box in the 44th minute, the second Oregon card of the half. Huskies defender Anna Menti took the kick, a shot right to Goldstein who wrapped it up and sent the Ducks into halftime.

The second half continued to see the Ducks play well in and around the box, not allowing the Huskies to get any good looks on goal Oregon, meanwhile, had a great chance to extend its lead in the 53rd minute. A shot on net was saved by a leaping Ijams, who punched the ball up in the air. When it came down, a clump of Huskies cleared.  

Oregon picked up its third yellow card on Kenny, when she tapped the ball away from Washington before a free kick (which itself came from an Oregon set piece).

Following the offense generated from that free kick, Huskies forward Avery Nguyen got open on the near side of the net. Just beyond the six-yard box, Nguyen snuck a slow rolling shot past Goldstein, who nearly collided with the goalpost on her dive, and tied the game in the 56th minute. 

The Huskies’ physical play came back to bite them after 15 fouls on the Ducks. Washington picked up its first yellow card on a foul by Suliafu. A free kick was awarded, resulting in a weak Oregon shot right to Ijams.

“We’ve obviously given up a couple of games this season because of our inability to have composure,” Joyner said. “That was something we talked about at halftime…do not give this away.”

Oregon had no offensive success following the Huskies goal, despite a breakout run from by Bryan — it ended with a solid shot on goal, and a couple of strong corners from red-shirt senior defender Jayde Holley, but the Ducks remained unable to beat Ijams again. 

The Huskies had opportunities to take the lead as well, the best coming from a shot across in the box from midfielder Kelsey Branson that Goldstein soared out to snag before a Husky got her head on the ball.

Another yellow card was given to the Huskies, and midfielder Laura Cetina was the recipient after she kicked an Oregon defender in the stomach while going for the ball. Seconds later, Washington received their third yellow card. This time, Buck was called after flying into Bloom, toppling her to the ground just outside the Oregon penalty area.

It took until the 88th minute, but Oregon capitalized on the red card and free kick, and Kenny tapped it in. The Ducks waited until the final game — the final minutes — of their 2025 season to do it, but they finally walked out of Papé Field with a Big Ten win in wild fashion. The postgame was full of pride and emotion for the team, which reflected on this season and what this game meant to Joyner and the team.

“I said before the game to the team,” the first-year Oregon coach said afterward. “I’m picturing (an) upset on the NCAA Soccer Instagram, just like we drew it up.”