Big Ten Network : Purdue Top Stories

Boilers card first Big House win since 1966

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:05:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Joey Elliott did what no Purdue quarterback since Bob Griese had done at Michigan Stadium. He won. Elliott threw for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, leading Purdue to a 38-36 comeback win over the Wolverines for its first win at the Big House since Griese did it in 1966. "He's an Evansville [Ind.] native, just like myself," Elliott said with a grin. While the Boilermakers were smiling, the Wolverines were crying because their 4-0 start might turn into a 5-7 flop. "Anytime you invest so much time and effort into something, you're bound to cry," Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko said. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez got very emotional after his news conference when retiring athletic director Bill Martin tried to share him some encouraging words. The Boilermakers (4-6, 3-3 Big Ten) trailed 24-10 at halftime. The Wolverines collapsed in the third quarter again, allowing 21 points for the second week in a row. Purdue took the lead for good with on Elliott's 54-yard pass to wide-open receiver Cortez Smith with 5:04 left in the third, one play after surprising Michigan with an onside kick. "We had that play greased up all season long, but never used it," coach Danny Hope said. "You have to wait for the right moment." Michigan (5-5, 1-5) pulled within two points with 2:10 to go on Brandon Minor's third TD, but Tate Forcier was sacked on a 2-point conversion it was forced to attempt because of a missed extra point. Purdue recovered the onside kick, punted and held on to end its 11-game road losing streak that was tied with Utah State for the longest active skid on the road. The Boilermakers, who beat Michigan and Ohio State in the same season since 2000, can rally to a bowl bid from a 1-5 start if they close with wins against Michigan State and at Indiana. "It's huge for our football team," Hope said. The loss might prove to be devastating for Michigan, which is in danger of going two straight seasons without a bowl for the first time since the 1973-74 seasons. "The season is not over," Rodriguez said. It will be finished if the Wolverines don't win at Wisconsin or against Ohio State at home. "We can handle this mentally," Minor insisted. "I don't think none of us need to see Dr. Phil or Oprah." Rodriguez, though, probably could use somebody to talk to about his frustrations. He endured a school-record nine losses last year in his debut season with college football's winningest program. This season started strong, but might end awfully and potentially could be compounded by more problems. The NCAA is investigating the Wolverines to find out if they violated rules regarding practice hours and offseason workouts. Rodriguez is focused on Michigan's many on-the-field challenges, none of which he says can be corrected overnight. "I don't have a magic wand," he said. Rodriguez would need one to fix his defense. In the past three games, the Wolverines have been outscored 75-12 in the second half by Purdue, Illinois and Penn State. "It's embarrassing," Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham said. "But we know we're better than that. We're just trying to prove it." Forcier showed he could win as a freshman in September, but he and the Wolverines are 1-5 since going undefeated in the first month. He threw a TD pass and ran for a score, but fumbled on an option pitch that Purdue recovered early in the second half to sparked its comeback. "It hurts," Forcier said. "I've never lost this many games in my life. It's going to be my job to get this team back to play like it did before."

Purdue coach adds to Rich Rodriguez's misery

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:16:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich.(AP) Michigan's Rich Rodriguez says Purdue coach Danny Hope blamed him for getting one of his players suspended. Rodriguez says Hope introduced him to guard Zach Reckman after the Boilermakers' 38-36 win Saturday and said, "Thanks Coach, we appreciate what you did.'' Reckman was suspended for a game because of a late hit against Northern Illinois in September. Rodriguez said on the same day he would ask the Big Ten to punish non-football acts after seeing a Big Ten player hit an opponent with a forearm on TV. Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton was suspended for punching a Notre Dame player the previous week. Hope issued a statement through school spokesman Tom Schott, saying his conversation with Rodriguez would remain between them.

No. 23 Purdue tops Iowa in double overtime, 3-2

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 23rd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team earned its second overtime win in five days Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Iowa at the Varsity Soccer Complex. "We're very happy with the result," head coach Robert Klatte said. "I think it certainly was a learning-lesson game for us. I think we can grow and get better from it. To go up 2-0 and rest on our laurels a bit in the second half and have Iowa find their way back into the match and equalize at the death is not only gut-wrenching, but it's disappointing. However, we are happy with the way the team responded and came back. Once we were determined to go back forward again we had opportunities. Liz Secue is someone who has played forward plenty in her club days and made a nice play to turn the corner and get a deflection." Purdue (12-5-3, 5-3-2) jumped on the board first when freshman Jessica Warren found the back of the net in the 40th minute. The Avon, Ind., native intercepted the ball at the top of the penalty box and unleashed a shot across the box and into the left side of the net. The goal was her third this season and second this week after scoring the game-tying goal in Purdue's 2-1 win in double overtime at Indiana on Tuesday. The Boilermakers took their one-goal lead to the locker room at halftime and wasted little time adding to the advantage. Freshman Remi Gibba scored her first collegiate goal at 46:20 when she took a serve from the right side off the foot of senior Katie Seeger and popped it over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Freshman Vanessa Ibewuike earned her team-leading fifth assist of the season by playing the ball wide to Seeger. Iowa (9-11-0, 1-9-0) refused to give up and continued to push forward. Twelve minutes after Gibba's goal, the Boilermakers were called for a foul in the box to give the Hawkeyes a penalty kick. Alex Seydel stepped up and made the kick to cut the deficit to one. Iowa then tied the game at 87:56 when Nicole Selvin crossed a ball from deep on the right side to Morgan Showalter, who was able to head the ball into the open net and knot the score. Purdue went on the attack immediately in the extra frame. The Boilermakers took five shots and were awarded one corner kick in overtime. The game-winning goal came with less than four minutes to play in the first overtime. Defender Liz Secue secured the ball at midfield after Iowa cleared away Purdue's corner kick and ran all the way down the right side of the field. As the junior from Bath, Ohio, neared the end line, she turned the corner and played a ball into the front of the net that deflected off a Hawkeye defender and rolled across the goal line. Goalkeeper Jenny Bradfisch made four saves while earning her 42nd career win, which ties her with Lauren Mason for the Purdue record. In addition to Secue and Bradfisch, Sylvia Forbes, Lauren Montenegro and Brookley Rogers all played the entire 96 minutes. All five athletes also were on the field for all 110 minutes played at Indiana. "I think it's important that we had this win to make it to the NCAA Tournament," Bradfisch said. "Hopefully, we will be in next weekend and continue to do well. Tying the record is awesome. I didn't know, and it's pretty cool. Mason was a great goalie, and to be up there with her is definitely an honor." Saturday marked the final home game for Bradfisch, Forbes, Jessica Okoroafo, Loredana Riverso and Seeger. The seniors garnered the 58th win of their Purdue career, which makes them the winningest senior class in program history. The quintet's .711 winning percentage also is the highest of any class to ever come through the Purdue women's soccer program. "I'm very proud of the effort and intensity and consistency that the five young women have brought us," Klatte said. "To find them all out on the field today is fantastic. We're hoping that we can get Oak back and be able to contribute even more over this next weekend if we are so blessed to keep playing. I think the importance and competitiveness that the five young women have brought to the program in the past four to five seasons cannot be overstated." The Boilermakers wrapped up their home schedule with an 8-1-2 mark at the Varsity Soccer Complex, making them the fourth Purdue team to drop just one game at home. Purdue outscored its opponents 27-8 at home in 2009, and its plus-17 home goal differential is the second-highest mark in program history. The record of plus-34 home goal differential was set in 2007. The Boilermakers have played two consecutive overtime games for just the sixth time in program history and had both games in a seven-day span for the fourth time. Purdue improved to 9-8-24 all-time in overtime games with the victory. The NCAA Tournament bracket is set to be announced Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNews. The 64 teams selected begin competition at 16 campus sites Friday.

Purdue tops Indiana, 3-1, retains trophy

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team exacted revenge on the Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday night, downing IU 3-1 to keep the Monon Spike travelling trophy in West Lafayette for another year. Purdue won the match 20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-19 to even the season series and win the Spike match for the 24th time in 36 tries. The Boilermakers have now topped the Hoosiers in 12 of the last 14 meetings. Freshman Ariel Turner paced the Purdue offense with 12 kills, while fellow rookie Anna Drewry added 10. Senior Carrie Gurnell chipped in nine kills, while juniors Kristen Arthurs and Jaclyn Hart tallied eight and seven respectively. The Boilermakers outhit the Hoosiers .289 to .173. Defensively, Purdue outblocked Indiana 17.5 to six and outdug the Hoosiers 55 to 46. At the net, Arthurs and Drewry registered eight blocks apiece and Hart added six. In the backcourt, sophomore Emily Ehlers racked up 24 digs, while freshman Carly Cramer added 10. The Hoosiers led early in the first set, but Purdue tied it up at 5-5 on a block by Arthurs and Hart. Indiana built a four-point advantage at 13-9 after a run including two aces. Purdue fought back to make it 14-14 after a Turner kill and an IU hitting error. The teams would tie again at 18 on a Gurnell putaway, but Indiana scored seven of the last 10 to clinch the 25-20 win. The Hoosiers were credited with six aces in the stanza. The Boilermakers bounced back in the second set, racking up seven and a half blocks and hitting .367 en route to a 25-23 win. Purdue went up 4-2 after kills by Drewry and Turner and a solo block by Hart. The Hoosiers tied it up at six, but the Boilermakers pushed ahead to a 12-8 advantage after a stuff by Drewry, Arthurs and Turner. Indiana battled back with a 11-5 run to take a 19-17 lead of its own. Purdue countered with six of the next eight points, including three blocks, to reach their first set point attempt at 24-22. Hart and Fisher combined on two of the rejections, while Fisher tallied a solo stuff on the third. A service error kept the set going, but Gurnell pounded down the final point of the win. Purdue led 3-2 to start the third set as Arthurs, Turner and Drewry posted kills. After a tie at 4-4, The Hoosiers scored six of the next seven, including a 5-0 run, to go up 10-5. The Boilermakers charged back to tie it up at 11-11 after a series which included three Gurnell kills and a block by Drewry and Arthurs. The teams tied at 12 and 13, before Purdue took advantage of an IU ball handling error to gain a 14-13 lead. Indiana led briefly at 16-15 and 18-17, but after that it was nearly all Boilermakers. Purdue snapped a 19-19 tie with three straight points, a kill by Arthurs and two Hoosier hitting miscues. An Indiana kill slowed the effort momentarily, but kills from Drewry and Turner put Purdue on the hill at 24-20. The pair combined for a block to cap the 25-20 win. The Boilermakers scored seven of the first 10 points in Set 4. The Hoosiers came back to tie it at eight and nine, but Purdue never relinquished control. From the tie at nine, Purdue scored seven straight, including kills by Arthurs, Turner and Drewry and an ace by Cramer. The Boilermakers upped their advantage to nine at 21-12 after back to back IU errors. Indiana would not give in, scoring seven of the next nine, narrowing the gap to 23-19. Hart put down a kill and then served up the ace for the 25-19 win. Drewry was 4-for-4 in the stanza, while Hart chipped in three kills. Purdue outhit Indiana .320 to .071 in the final stanza. Purdue (12-12, 4-9 Big Ten) returns to action at 2 p.m. Sunday when it takes on No. 12 Minnesota in Minneapolis. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network and will be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. ET.

No. 23 Purdue takes down IU in double OT

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team pulled off an exciting 2-1 victory over Indiana on Tuesday evening at Armstrong Stadium. "It was a tightly-contested match,"" head coach Robert Klatte said. "We certainly were disappointed to go down at the start of the second half after I thought we really had a good performance in the first half. We controlled most of the possession and had the ball in their end of the field. We were just unable to convert any chances, which is something that has been symptomatic with us over the last couple of weeks." Purdue (11-5-3, 4-3-2) scored with 21 seconds remaining in the second overtime to grab victory from the clutches of a tie. After a foul was called on Kellie Phillips 20 yards away from the goal, Jessica Stellhorn stepped up and delivered a ball into the box from the right side. Sylvia Forbes outran her defender to the ball and headed it into the back of the net for the game-winning score. Forbes scored her sixth goal this season, which is a new career high for the senior from Whitby, Ontario. The assist is the eighth career game-winning helper for Stellhorn, who moved into second place alone on the program's all-time list in that category. The record of nine was set by Annette Kent from 2000-03. Stellhorn also recorded the first multiple-assist game in her time as a Boilermaker. "It was exhilarating to score," Forbes said. "I couldn't have felt any better than that. In a game like that, to go out in score in double overtime and having your team just jump you, it can't get better than that. We worked so hard tonight, and I think it was an all-around team effort. Finally, we were able to capitalize on something in overtime. It feels amazing." Indiana (10-6-2, 2-5-2) got on the board first after a first half that saw no goals scored. Carly Samp took the ball down near the end line on the left side of the offensive attack and slotted a ball back into the box to Chloe McKay. McKay then put a shot from 15 yards out into the top right corner of the net to give the Hoosiers a lead just 25 seconds into the second half. The Boilermakers responded quickly as freshman Jessica Warren knocked in the second goal of her first collegiate season. Stellhorn passed the ball from the right side to Warren, who took the pass at the top of the box, spun and rifled a shot into the right side of the net. The Avon, Ind., native has made both of her goals count this season, with her first being the difference in Purdue's 1-0 win over Michigan on Oct. 15. "We got a great strike from Jess Warren, who really had a fantastic look just moments earlier that the goalkeeper had to parry away,"" Klatte said. "Her goal put it back even, and then it was a seesaw battle for a while. There were some dangerous moments in the overtime period because neither team wanted to end up with a tie. I think both teams really felt that a win was necessary to move forward toward the NCAA Tournament. We've spent time training those free kicks, and we got a beautiful service from Stellhorn and a fantastic early run by Sylvia Forbes. She smashes it into the back of the net, and we take the Boot home with us. I think this win goes a long way toward getting us to the NCAA Tournament." Purdue grabbed its first overtime win this season to improve to 1-1-3 when games extend into the extra period. The Boilermakers kept the Golden Boot, the traveling trophy given to the winner of the rivalry game, while improving to 10-1-3 all-time against the Hoosiers. Purdue extended its unbeaten streak against Indiana to 13 matches and has not lost since the team's first contest in 1999. The 110th-minute goal is the latest scored in program history and secured just the second double-overtime win for the Boilermakers. The only other time Purdue won a game that went into the second overtime was in 2005, when the Boilermakers beat Northwestern 2-1 on a goal in the 102nd minute. Senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo broke the program's record for career shots when she aimed a ball toward the goal in the 22nd minute. The shot was Okoroafo's 246th as a Boilermaker, which broke a tie on top of the school's all-time list with Kent. Okoroafo broke a school record for the third consecutive game after breaking the career goals scored record Wednesday and the career games played record Sunday. The Boilermakers are now tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 14 points. Indiana remains in a three-way tie for eighth in the conference with the loss. Purdue wraps up the regular season Saturday against Iowa on Senior Day. Kickoff from the Varsity Soccer Complex is set for 1 p.m. ET. Live results and a radio broadcast can be found at purduesports.com.

Purdue powers past Cal (Pa.) in exhibition opener

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Senior guard Keaton Grant scored a game-high 14 points to lead a quartet of Boilermakers in double figures as the No. 7/7 Purdue men's basketball team defeated California of Pennsylvania, 78-44, on Tuesday in its exhibition opener. The victory was Purdue's 14th in a row in exhibition play, and improved the Boilermakers' overall exhibition record to 48-7. The win also ran fifth-year head coach Matt Painter's exhibition to 9-0 at his alma mater. Grant was 4-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the line in 19 minutes of work, recording five steals, three assists, two rebounds and a block to go along with his 14 points. Junior forward/center JaJuan Johnson netted 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while junior guard E'Twaun Moore and freshman guard D.J. Byrd each had 11, for a Purdue team that shot 40.9 percent for the game. Grant, Moore and junior forward Robbie Hummel shared game-high honors with three assists apiece. Spearheaded by Grant's five-steal effort, the Purdue defense hounded Cal U for the duration of the night, forcing 32 turnovers and limiting the Vulcans to 28.8 percent shooting from the field and a 16.7 clip from beyond the arc. Johnson had four rebounds and three blocks on the evening, while senior guard Chris Kramer added a pair of rejections and grabbed five rebounds to share game-high honors with redshirt freshman guard John Hart. The Boilers will return to action on Monday, Nov. 9, when they host eight-time NCAA Division II champion Kentucky Wesleyan in their final exhibition tuneup of the year. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen via live stream on BigTenNetwork.com.

Penn State dismantles Purdue on Senior Day

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:17:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—There was plenty of emotion at Sunday's match against Purdue and Penn State's seniors shined, downing Purdue by a 4-0 score at Jeffrey Field on Senior Day. Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) tallied two markers, but it was Melissa Hayes (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and Tara Davies (Cape May Court House, N.J.) who stole the show with their first goals of 2009 to put away the Boilermakers. After a sluggish opening 11 minutes, where Purdue (10-5-3, 3-3-2 Big Ten) controlled the ball and had some scoring chances, but Penn State (11-5-2, 7-1-1 Big Ten) broke out a counter attack to take a 1-0 lead 12:05 into the match. Toney and Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) connected on a give-and-go sequence about 30 yards, setting Toney up for a breakaway shot she put into the lower right portion of the net. Sixteen minutes later, Penn State would continue its pressure when Nairn tapped a pass to Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) who one-touched a pass to a wide open Hayes in the goal mouth for a 2-0 lead at 28:18. The two teams would go into the half time by the same score as PSU out-shot Purdue 12-5. The second half would prove to be much like the first, as the Boilers once again took control of the early play, but showed nothing for it. In the 62nd minute, Davies made a streaking play down the left wing and was 15 yards from net on the end line where she chipped a gorgeous ball into the far post for her first collegiate goal. The former forward in high school provided fans with a fantastic celebrating, somersaulting and flipping after the third Nittany Lion goal. Ten minutes later, the Nittany Lions attacked again when a Nikki Watts (Hungerford, England) and Nairn set up Toney on another breakaway and the junior forward slotted home the fourth and final goal of the game in the 72nd minute. Toney now leads the Big Ten in scoring with 12 goals on the year. Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) stood tall once again in net, making two saves in 81 minutes in her final regular season game at Jeffrey Field. She was one of seven seniors honored prior to the match joined by Davies, Hayes, Watts, Alli Rago (Fairfield, Conn.), Maura Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.), and Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.). Penn State held advantages in shots (18-15), shots on goal (9-2), corner kicks (1-0), offsides (6-2) and fouls (12-3) for the game. Purdue recorded five saves to PSU's two in the game. Nairn's three assists are the most by a Penn State since Hayes notched three against Bucknell in 2007. Additionally, the 4-0 win is the worst loss Purdue has suffered all season and gives Penn State a league-leading 27 goals in conference play. The Nittany Lions now run their unbeaten streak to eight straight games including six straight wins at home. They are tied atop the Big Ten standings going into the final week of play with Ohio State, who won against Indiana on Sunday. Penn State concludes the regular season with an away match at Michigan on Sunday at noon. A win secures at least a share of the Big Ten title for Penn State for the 12th consecutive year.

Illinois stays hot, sweeps Boilermakers

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:03:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 6 Illini volleyball team continued its hot streak against Purdue on Halloween night, rattling off its ninth consecutive win behind a balanced attack that hit .347 for the match. Illinois improved to 18-3 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten thanks to a straight-sets victory (25-21, 25-19, 25-14) over Purdue, who fell to 11-12 overall and 3-9 in the Big Ten. The Orange and Blue's middle blockers, Erin Johnson and Johannah Bangert, combined for 15 kills and hit .533 and .308, respectively, to bolster the impressive Illini attack. "We have been working very hard to get our middles going, and it has been paying off," head coach Kevin Hambly said. "Erin Johnson had a great weekend and Johannah Bangert did a nice job attacking. Our outsides always bring their game, so it is nice to get some more productivity out of the middles. We are continuing to get better as a team, and it's nice to see things progress in that direction." Illinois' outside hitters also continued their stellar play, combining for 29 kills, as Laura DeBruler and Michelle Bartsch posted a match-high 10 kills apiece and Kylie McCulley added nine. All three players also hit over .300, which is the first time that has happened all year. The Illini trailed for the majority of the opening frame until the block brigade turned it on to spark a 9-3 run. Two key blocks turned the tide for the Illini, as the Orange and Blue tied the match at 18 thanks to a block assist from McCulley and Bangert and then grabbed their first lead at 19-18 on a block assist from Bartsch and Bangert. McCulley had five kills in the set to pace the Illini, who hit .385 compared to .222 from Purdue. The second set was a back-and-forth affair until the score was tied at nine and the Illini used a 7-2 run to pull away. Illinois never looked back from there, easily taking the second set behind six kills from Johnson and four from Bartsch. Illinois out-hit the Boilermakers .382 to .156 in the second stanza. The Illini dominated the third frame thanks to great play from DeBruler and Bartsch, but saw their senior libero Ashley Edinger go down with an injury with Illinois leading 21-12. Edinger, who had 12 digs to pace the Illini defense, was helped off the floor and replaced by Rachel Feldman. Illinois took four of the next six points to close out the match. "It's too early to speculate (about Ashley), so we will just wait and see what happens," Hambly said. The win was Illinois' ninth straight in the Big Ten, the longest streak for the Illini in conference since winning 18 straight in 1992. The Orange and Blue remained alone in second place and improved to 6-1 on the road in the conference after the victory in front of 1,821 fans at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. Illinois returns to Huff Hall for a pair of matches next weekend, as the Illini face No. 13 Michigan on Friday, Nov. 6 and Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 7. Both matches are set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.

Clay, Wisconsin run through Purdue 37-0

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:20:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- John Clay ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns and Wisconsin shut out a Big Ten opponent for the first time since 1999 to snap a two-game losing streak with a 37-0 victory over Purdue on Saturday. Freshman David Gilbert added a leaping blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, putting an emphatic exclamation point on a dominant first half in the win that made the Badgers bowl-eligible for the eighth consecutive year. Wisconsin (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) and Purdue (3-6, 2-3) came in heading in opposite directions after the Boilermakers had beaten Ohio State and Illinois. Instead it was Purdue's worst shutout loss since a 48-0 defeat at Notre Dame in 1992 and worst Big Ten shutout since 1991, when the Boilermakers lost 42-0 at Michigan. Purdue gained 141 yards on offense for the game, nine fewer than Wisconsin rolled up in a 150-yard first quarter. That's because the 248-pound Clay, who leads the Big Ten in rushing and rushing TDs, flattened the Boilermakers early and helped Wisconsin restore confidence after losses to Ohio State and Iowa followed by a week off. Quarterback Joey Elliott had the worst start of his career, going 5 of 23 for 59 yards and an interception before being replaced late in the third quarter. Elliott's receivers didn't help him either, dropping six passes. Wisconsin has now won 23 straight home games against unranked opponents. The Badgers rushed for 266 yards and started with 11 straight runs in an 80-yard TD drive on their first possession. Clay, who has been working through a sore ankle, capped the drive with a 1-yard dive to make it 7-0. After the first of three field goals by Philip Welch made it 10-0, Wisconsin scored twice in a span of 31 seconds in the second quarter to put it out of reach. Elliott made an ill-advised throw from his goal line midway through the second quarter that Wisconsin cornerback Devin Smith picked off at the Purdue 20. Four plays later, Clay scored from the 1 to make it 17-0. Purdue was forced to punt on its ensuing possession, but Gilbert leaped over 6-foot-3 defensive tackle Adam Brockman and 6-foot-6 offensive tackle Peters Drey to get his hands on Chris Summers' punt. Aaron Henry returned the block 9 yards for a TD to make it 24-0. Clay, who finished with 24 carries, made it 31-0 on the first possession of the second half when he ran for 3 yards, fumbled at the goal line and recovered it in the end zone. Elliott had appeared to turn a corner with his performances against the Buckeyes and the Illini but was on the bench in favor of Caleb TerBush late in the third quarter. Purdue's quarterbacks finished 9 of 33 for 81 yards. The last time the Badgers were this dominant was a 59-0 rout of Indiana 10 years ago when the Badgers rolled up 461 yards rushing behind Ron Dayne and Michael Bennett.

Northwestern tops Purdue in five sets

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:55:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) knocked down 16 kills with senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) each knocking down 13 as Northwestern took a dramatic 25-23, 25-22, 17-25, 23-25, 16-14 win over Purdue at Holloway Gymnasium. The victory gives the Wildcats the season sweep over the Boilermakers for the first time since 2004, which also marks the last time Northwestern won in West Lafayette. Northwestern also notches its first Big Ten road victory of the year, improving to 12-11 overall and 3-8 in conference play, while Purdue drops to 11-11 and 3-8 in the Big Ten. The California trio provided the spark for the Wildcats all night, with Moffett adding five blocks against Purdue. Ayers had a career-best 18 digs on the night, second only to senior Kate Nobilio's (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) 19, with Baxterbeck adding 12 digs defensively for the 'Cats. Junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) continued her solid play at the net for Northwestern, blocking a team-best six attempts to go along with her three kills. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) added four kills and three blocks, with junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dishing out 42 assists to compliment her four blocks and three kills. After taking the first two sets, Northwestern found itself trailing Purdue 8-7 at the turn in set five. The teams would trade points before a Boilermaker service error and a kill from Moffett gave NU a 13-11 lead. Purdue would rally, tying the set at 13 and again at 14, but a kill from Baxterbeck and a Boiler attack error sealed the victory for the 'Cats. Northwestern, which defeated Purdue in five sets at Welsh-Ryan Arena back on Oct. 10, came out energized early on. The Wildcats pounced to an early four point lead at 10-6, but Purdue rallied to tie the match on seven different occasions, including 22-22 late. But it was NU that took three of the last four points to take set one 25-23, with a kill from Moffett sealing it. Set two continued right where set one left off, as both teams battled back and forth for points. Northwestern would build a five-point lead at 18-13, only to see Purdue close the gap to one a handful of times. But the Boilers were never able to reclaim the lead as the 'Cats once again used a late run to seal the victory, taking set two 25-22. Purdue would start the comeback in set three, building a six-point cushion on Northwestern at 16-10. The Boilermakers avoided the sweep by holding off the Wildcats for the remainder of the set, taking the third 25-17. That momentum would carry into the early portion of the fourth set, as Purdue looked to be easily in control holding a 20-13 lead. But the Wildcats weren't going down without a fight, using a 9-3 run to pull to within a point at 23-22, and then again at 24-23. Unfortunately the rally came up just short as Purdue took the 25-23 decision to force the decisive fifth set. Carrie Gurnell led the Boilermakers with a match-high 17 kills while Ariel Turner had 13 kills and four blocks and Jaclyn Hart finished with 55 assists and five blocks in defeat.

NFL's 3 undefeated teams all have Purdue QBs

CLIFF BRUNT — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:42:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) Perhaps the secret to NFL perfection is having a former Purdue quarterback on your roster. The New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts are a combined 18-0 this season, and they are the only unbeaten teams remaining in the league. New Orleans' Drew Brees and Denver's Kyle Orton are having career years, while Indianapolis rookie Curtis Painter is learning under Peyton Manning. It so happens that all three became stars at Purdue under former coach Joe Tiller's spread offense. And with Purdue senior Joey Elliott leading the Boilermakers past Ohio State two weeks ago, it's a good time to be a member of a tightly knit Purdue quarterback fraternity that stays in touch and pulls for one another. Brees text-messaged Elliott the day before the Ohio State game and told him to ``shock the world.'' Elliott threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns as Purdue stunned the No. 7 Buckeyes 26-18. ``It was awesome,'' Brees said. ``I just kind of had a feeling it was going to happen and it did.'' Brees is the senior active member of the group, and he takes pride in guiding the younger ones. ``I definitely want to offer any assistance that I can to help them build confidence,'' he said. ``I go back every year, talk to those guys as much as I can, typically work out with them, go out and throw with them, that kind of stuff.'' The Purdue quarterback tradition is deep. Bob Griese and Len Dawson have won Super Bowls, Mike Phipps was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1969 and Merk Herrmann, Gary Danielson and Jim Everett had lengthy NFL careers. The school calls itself the ``Cradle of Quarterbacks.'' The common bond for the latest crop of Purdue passers is Tiller. Brees said Tiller helped him become a man. ``Coming in, 18 years old, you still have a lot a maturing to do,'' Brees said, ``and a lot of the way that you develop is based on the type of mentorship that you have from your coaches, your head coach, your offensive coordinator, your quarterback coach, the guys that you spend the most time with. I can definitely credit a lot of those people, and coach Tiller especially.'' Orton agreed. ``He really wasn't an 'X and O' guy at all in school,'' he said. ``He didn't even bother with that stuff. But he taught you how to be a quarterback, how to be a leader. He did a great job with that. We had some great quarterbacks go through Purdue and we'd learn from him. He made football fun. He's a great coach.'' Painter, who holds the Big Ten record for yards passing in a season, is the only backup of the group. He's fine sitting behind Manning and longtime backup Jim Sorgi. ``You kind of get used to playing, so this is a little different,'' Painter said. ``At the same time, I just take it as a great learning experience. The guy in front of me (Manning) is pretty good. Hopefully, if the time comes, this time right now will be beneficial in how I do.'' Painter said the efforts of Brees and Orton were important to him as he developed. ``That makes it as nice as anything, just getting to know the guys a little bit,'' Painter said. ``With me, and now Joey, to have a couple guys at the next level, that really kind of gives you a little motivation, kind of helps you along and gives you that little push.'' Brees, the Big Ten's all-time leading passer, ranks third in the NFL in quarterback rating and second in touchdown passes, and has been one of the league's best quarterbacks in recent years. He has remained true to his Purdue roots, donating $2 million for the school's student-athlete academic center and occasionally returning to the West Lafayette area for community service projects. After four solid but unspectacular seasons in Chicago, Orton was traded to Denver. Now, he's seventh in the NFL in passing efficiency and has thrown just one interception, fewest among regular starters. Brees has followed Orton's career closely. ``Kyle, I've been really happy for he road that he's traveled,'' Brees said. ``He's fought through a lot of adversity, going back to Chicago, having to fight for his job every year and this whole trade thing with (Jay) Cutler, going to Denver. A really rough preseason, and now, they're one of the undefeated, so hopefully we'll just keep this Purdue quarterback thing going, you know?'' ---= AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Okoroafo breaks Purdue record in easy win

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:32:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 22nd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team defeated Loyola-Chicago 5-2 Wednesday at the Varsity Soccer Complex in a game that featured senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo breaking the program record for career goals scored. "I thought we did a really good job, at times, going forward, and we were dangerous," head coach Robert Klatte said. "Certainly, Loyola has a good side. They are very efficient at what they do. They have a fantastic passing game that provides quality entry balls. I thought their team stepped up and handled the pressure that we put on them, and they were still dangerous going forward. This is a team that you wouldn't want to face in the Horizon League Tournament, and I think they would be a very dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament as well." Okoroafo nailed the record-breaking tally in the 50th minute when she took a cross from fellow senior Katie Seeger and blasted a shot into the back of the net. The goal was the 35th of Okoroafo's career and broke a tie the Sylvania, Ohio, native had with Lauren Sesselmann at the top of the program's all-time list. Okoroafo also extended her career game-winning goals record, broken earlier this season, to 16. "It feels really great to break the record," Okoroafo said. "It's nice to have that weight lifted off my shoulders. This win was big for us. This was a game that we had to win in order to get a chance at the NCAA Tournament, and if we didn't win it probably would have knocked us out of the tournament. This game gave us confidence. We know that we can play well, but we need to make sure we play well the whole 90 minutes and not give up silly goals." Purdue (10-4-3) jumped on the board first when sophomore Lauren Montenegro unleashed a shot from 25 yards out over the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The goal, which snuck just under the crossbar and inside the right post, was Montenegro's first this season and third of her career. The Boilermakers extended their lead two minutes and one second later when freshman Marta Lynch notched the first tally of her career. Okoroafo took a point-blank shot that looked to be the one that would break the record, but goalkeeper Katie Groesch got in front to deflect the ball. Lynch was waiting for the rebound on the left side of the box and knocked the loose ball into the top of the net. Loyola-Chicago (5-13-2) got on the board with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. Ashley Funk ran a ball down on the left side of the penalty box and crossed it on the ground in front of the net, where Laura Trevillian was waiting. Trevillian slid the ball on the ground across the goal line to pull the Ramblers within one. Just 53 seconds after Okoroafo's goal, the Ramblers struck again. Kristin Papierski took a run down the left side of the offensive attack and forced Jenny Bradfisch out of the net. When Bradfisch came out, Papierski slotted a pass to Nikki Staton, who redirected the ball into the open net. The back-and-forth scoring barrage continued in the 70th minute when freshman Vanessa Ibewuike was tackled in the penalty box by Groesch on a breakaway. Groesch was given a yellow card for the challenge, and Purdue was awarded a penalty kick. Sophomore Kellie Phillips stepped up and delivered her second penalty-kick goal of the season to put the Boilermakers back up by two. Ibewuike wrapped up the scoring with a goal seven minutes later. Bradfisch punted the ball behind the defense, where it eventually found Ibewuike after bouncing around between the heads of other players. The Plano, Texas, native shot a rocket from 18 yards away across the box and into the left side of the net for the third goal of her freshman campaign. "For us, our challenge was staying focused," Klatte said. "We took our foot off the accelerator twice as we got two-goal leads. We set back and found ourselves giving up goals and having to restart our engines and go back forward. That's something we certainly have to improve upon. We can't play that way against the quality teams we have coming up over the next week and a half." The Boilermakers did not allow a corner kick for the second consecutive home game and third time this season. Purdue outshot Loyola-Chicago 23-7 and claimed an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. Senior Sylvia Forbes and sophomore Brookley Rogers played all 90 minutes on the back line. Purdue reached the 10-win mark for the 10th consecutive season, a streak that began in the program's third season of existence. The Boilermakers have outscored their opponents 24-6 at home this season. The plus-18 home goal differential is the second-highest single-season mark in program history, trailing only the plus-34 margin attained in 2007. The seven total goals tied Purdue's 6-1 victory over Ball State on Sept. 7 for the highest-scoring game at the Varsity Soccer Complex this season. Purdue hits the road this weekend as it returns to Big Ten play at 25th-ranked Penn State. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET in State College, Pa. A live radio broadcast and live results can be found at purduesports.com.

Purdue women get record performance

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:17:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 22nd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team defeated Loyola-Chicago 5-2 Wednesday at the Varsity Soccer Complex in a game that featured senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo breaking the program record for career goals scored. ""I thought we did a really good job, at times, going forward, and we were dangerous,"" head coach Robert Klatte said. ""Certainly, Loyola has a good side. They are very efficient at what they do. They have a fantastic passing game that provides quality entry balls. I thought their team stepped up and handled the pressure that we put on them, and they were still dangerous going forward. This is a team that you wouldn't want to face in the Horizon League Tournament, and I think they would be a very dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament as well."" Okoroafo nailed the record-breaking tally in the 50th minute when she took a cross from fellow senior Katie Seeger and blasted a shot into the back of the net. The goal was the 35th of Okoroafo's career and broke a tie the Sylvania, Ohio, native had with Lauren Sesselmann at the top of the program's all-time list. Okoroafo also extended her career game-winning goals record, broken earlier this season, to 16. ""It feels really great to break the record,"" Okoroafo said. ""It's nice to have that weight lifted off my shoulders. This win was big for us. This was a game that we had to win in order to get a chance at the NCAA Tournament, and if we didn't win it probably would have knocked us out of the tournament. This game gave us confidence. We know that we can play well, but we need to make sure we play well the whole 90 minutes and not give up silly goals."" Purdue (10-4-3) jumped on the board first when sophomore Lauren Montenegro unleashed a shot from 25 yards out over the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The goal, which snuck just under the crossbar and inside the right post, was Montenegro's first this season and third of her career. The Boilermakers extended their lead two minutes and one second later when freshman Marta Lynch notched the first tally of her career. Okoroafo took a point-blank shot that looked to be the one that would break the record, but goalkeeper Katie Groesch got in front to deflect the ball. Lynch was waiting for the rebound on the left side of the box and knocked the loose ball into the top of the net. Loyola-Chicago (5-13-2) got on the board with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. Ashley Funk ran a ball down on the left side of the penalty box and crossed it on the ground in front of the net, where Laura Trevillian was waiting. Trevillian slid the ball on the ground across the goal line to pull the Ramblers within one. Just 53 seconds after Okoroafo's goal, the Ramblers struck again. Kristin Papierski took a run down the left side of the offensive attack and forced Jenny Bradfisch out of the net. When Bradfisch came out, Papierski slotted a pass to Nikki Staton, who redirected the ball into the open net. The back-and-forth scoring barrage continued in the 70th minute when freshman Vanessa Ibewuike was tackled in the penalty box by Groesch on a breakaway. Groesch was given a yellow card for the challenge, and Purdue was awarded a penalty kick. Sophomore Kellie Phillips stepped up and delivered her second penalty-kick goal of the season to put the Boilermakers back up by two. Ibewuike wrapped up the scoring with a goal seven minutes later. Bradfisch punted the ball behind the defense, where it eventually found Ibewuike after bouncing around between the heads of other players. The Plano, Texas, native shot a rocket from 18 yards away across the box and into the left side of the net for the third goal of her freshman campaign. ""For us, our challenge was staying focused,"" Klatte said. ""We took our foot off the accelerator twice as we got two-goal leads. We set back and found ourselves giving up goals and having to restart our engines and go back forward. That's something we certainly have to improve upon. We can't play that way against the quality teams we have coming up over the next week and a half."" The Boilermakers did not allow a corner kick for the second consecutive home game and third time this season. Purdue outshot Loyola-Chicago 23-7 and claimed an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. Senior Sylvia Forbes and sophomore Brookley Rogers played all 90 minutes on the back line. Purdue reached the 10-win mark for the 10th consecutive season, a streak that began in the program's third season of existence. The Boilermakers have outscored their opponents 24-6 at home this season. The plus-18 home goal differential is the second-highest single-season mark in program history, trailing only the plus-34 margin attained in 2007. The seven total goals tied Purdue's 6-1 victory over Ball State on Sept. 7 for the highest-scoring game at the Varsity Soccer Complex this season. Purdue hits the road this weekend as it returns to Big Ten play at 25th-ranked Penn State. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET in State College, Pa. A live radio broadcast and live results can be found at purduesports.com.

Purdue's air attack is not the only strategy

Jeff Potrykus — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Madison - When Bret Bielema was a rookie defensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin in 2004, preparing to face Purdue meant one thing: Stop the pass. Under coach Joe Tiller, the Boilermakers generally passed first, passed second and passed third. The Boilermakers of 2009, led by first-year coach Danny Hope and offensive coordinator Gary Nord, aren't as predictable. "Every game has been a little bit different," said Bielema, who hasn't faced the Boilermakers since 2006, his first season as UW coach. "I think Purdue does a good job of taking what they can get." To end any confusion, let it be clear that the Boilermakers (3-5, 2-2 Big Ten Conference) still can move the ball through the air. As they prepare to face host UW (5-2, 2-2) this weekend, they are No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 32 nationally in passing at 254.6 yards per game. Quarterback Joey Elliott, a fifth-year senior in his first season as starter, is 15th nationally in completions per game (21.8) and 22nd in passing yards per game (252.8). Yet the Boilermakers ran the ball more than they passed in their first two games, when tailback Ralph Bolden had a combined 40 carries for 357 yards and four touchdowns. Then, one week after passing 52 times in a 26-18 victory over then-No. 7 Ohio State, the Boilermakers featured their ground game in a 24-14 victory over Illinois. Knowing that the Illini entered the day 98th nationally against the run (179.5 ypg), the Boilermakers stressed their ground game from the start. They rushed 24 times for 171 yards in the first half in building a 21-7 halftime lead and finished with 220 rushing yards in 39 attempts. Bolden rushed 21 times for 78 yards and a touchdown; reserve tailback Jaycen Taylor rushed six times for 71 yards and a touchdown; and Elliott rushed nine times for 62 yards and a touchdown. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 166 yards, all season lows. "They threw the ball 50 times against Ohio State and we were like: 'Dang, same old Purdue, still throwing the ball around,' " UW secondary coach Kerry Cooks said. "And then you watch the (Illinois) game and they were running the ball. "They give you headaches with what they do personnel-wise and formation-wise. You can't just line up and say they're going to throw the ball 50 times." UW defensive coordinator Dave Doeren knows Nord's work from his days on the Kansas staff (2002-'05) when Nord was Florida Atlantic's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Doeren knows Nord will adapt his game plan to the strength of his players and the weakness of the opposing defense. The chess match between Doeren, who likes to use a 3-3-5 look in obvious passing situations and against teams with multiple receiver sets, and Nord should be intriguing. "I really think he is a guy who likes to run the football," Doeren said, "but he is also going to use his players. . . . "Obviously you've got to prepare for both attacks." So how will Purdue choose to attack UW? Logic suggests Elliott should make sure his right arm is limber because he will be passing. UW's front seven has been stout. Meanwhile, the secondary has been up and down and Cooks is re-evaluating the cornerback rotation this week in practice. Elliott, who has 14 touchdown passes and a completion rate of 60.6%, has 10 interceptions, but none in the last two games. "What he's really done a good job of is taking advantage of pass-rush lanes," Bielema said. "People get overly concerned about getting upfield and getting after the passer and they open up gaps. He has done a good job scrambling. "In addition to running through those holes, he does a good job finding windows to get rid of the football." Copyright 2009, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.) Copyright 2009 Journal Sentinel Inc.

No. 3 Purdue finishes 6th at Landfall Tradition

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:36:00 +0000

WILMINGTON, N.C. - The third-ranked Purdue women's golf team faced the top teams in the nation for the first time this season and came away with a sixth-place finish at the Landfall Tradition. The Boilermakers were tied for fourth with No. 13 Duke heading into Sunday's final round but fired a 299, giving them a 54-hole team total of 892 (302-291-299=892). The Blue Devils erased a 10-stroke deficit to capture the team championship by firing a 288 in round three. Duke finished with a 17-over-par 296-297-288=881 score, earning a one stroke victory over top-ranked UCLA and No. 4 Auburn. Auburn junior Cydney Clanton claimed medalist honors by five strokes (70-70-70=210) over Virginia's Brittany Altomare at the Country Club of Landfall's Pete Dye Course, a par-72, 6,325-yard venue. The Boilermakers were led by Numa Gulyanamitta who followed up her two rounds of even par with a two-over 74 on Sunday. The junior from Thailand tied for seventh with a 54-hole total of 218 (72-72-74, +2) and has finished in the top 10 of all four events this fall. After winning both events she competed in this season, junior Maude-Aimee LeBlanc tied for 24th with a score of 223 (+7). The Sherbrooke, Quebec, native fired a 76 in the final round after recording a 75 on Friday and an even-par 72 in the second round. Kishi Sinha continued her improved play as a sophomore, tying for 38th against the nation's best collegiate golfers. Sinha scored a 76 on Sunday for a three-round total of 227 (77-74-76, +11). Junior Thea Hoffmeister was the third Purdue golfer to record a 76 in the final round. The native of Berlin, Germany, tied for 52nd place with a score of 230 (81-73-76, +14). Freshman Laura Gonzalez Escallon saved her best round for the final day, firing a 73 on Sunday. She tied for 54th with a score of 231 (78-80-73, +14). The eighth annual Landfall Tradition served as the NCAA Fall Preview. The Country Club of Landfall's Pete Dye Course is the site of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships in May. The No. 3 Boilermakers have completed their fall season and will resume competition when they host the Lady Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 7 to 9 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Brady's header gives Ohio St. win over Purdue

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:04:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Colleen Brady's header in the 92nd minute lifted 19th-ranked Ohio State over Purdue, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Lauren Steuer played a perfect corner to Brady who was back post and headed the ball past the feet of Purdue goalkeeper Jenny Bradfisch. "It is a big win for everybody on our team because nobody here has been able to beat Purdue in their career," said Brady as the Buckeyes snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Boilermakers. With the win, the Buckeyes (13-2-2, 6-1-1 Big Ten) remain atop the Big Ten with 19 points. It also marked the second consecutive home game Ohio State has won in the final minute after Lauren Granberg scored the game-winner against Northwestern with 48 seconds remaining two weeks ago. The Buckeyes had their first opportunity of the half in the 37th minute when Ashley Bowyer played a nice ball to Steuer who had made a run down the left side but her shot from 12 yards out drifted wide left. Less than five minutes later, Bowyer almost found the back of the net but Bradfisch was able to make the diving save on the header. The next Ohio State opportunity came in the 41st minute when a Steuer cross found Karin Sendel in the center of the box but the shot by the freshman sailed just high as the teams would head into the break in a scoreless tie. For the half, the Buckeyes tallied five shots compared to two for the Boilermakers and held a 3-0 advantage in corners. The Buckeyes continued to earn chances starting the second half but Bowyer's free kick from the top of the Box sailed just high. As the teams continued with their physical play Purdue recorded their best opportunity of the game when Vanessa Ibewuike crossed the ball from the right wing through the box but Cassie Dickerson was able to clear the ball out before a Purdue attacker reached it far post. Neither team would get many opportunities from there on out as the Buckeyes headed into their fourth overtime game of the season. As the Buckeyes attacked less than a minute into overtime, Steuer's header was deflected high to set up the game-winning corner. "Purdue is a tremendous team and they have been a great battle for us over the years," said head coach Lori Walker. "One of our mottos today was, 'it ends today.' This team has used our 2004 team as a model. For us to finally steal a win back from Purdue is huge on a day like today at home." For the game, the Buckeyes outshot Purdue 14-3 and held an 8-1 advantage in corners. Buckeye goalkeeper Lauren Robertson also earned her second shutout of the weekend and 12th of the season against the Boilermakers. Ohio State will have a week off before taking on Indiana on Senior Day next Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. First kick is set for 1 p.m.

Top-ranked Penn State sweeps Purdue

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:10:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With 3,012 fans filling Rec Hall, the top-ranked Nittany Lion women's volleyball team secured a 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-12) sweep of Big Ten foe Purdue (11-10, 3-7). Penn State (22-0, 10-0) improves to 41-5 all-time against the Boilermakers. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) led the Nittany Lions offense to a .438 attack percentage, while dishing out 32 assists and leading the team with seven total blocks. Senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) posted a match-high 10 kills on .450 hitting and junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) notched eight. Juniors Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) and Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) each tallied six kills and six total blocks. Penn State recorded 39 kills with just four attack errors, eight aces, 29 digs and 14.0 total team blocks. The Nittany Lions held the Boilermakers to a measly .034 hitting percentage, 27 kills, zero aces and just 1.0 team block. The Boilermakers were on the board first in set one after a kill by Ariel Turner, but the Nittany Lions went on to score the next six points for a 6-1 lead and forced Purdue to take an early timeout. Boilermaker Kristen Arthurs tallied a kill after the timeout, but Balza pounded a kill to keep Penn State's five-point lead intact. The Nittany Lions increased their lead to seven, 10-3, after kills from Wilson and Hodge and a Penn State block. Purdue would come within six points three times my midway through the frame, but PSU's momentum continued to grow. A kill by Hodge and a solo block by Wilson would bring the score to 18-9 in Penn State's favor and send Purdue to the bench for another timeout. Penn State's lead increased to double-digits, 19-9, after the timeout thanks to a Purdue attack error, but Boilermaker Jaclyn Hart posted a kill to put Purdue within nine. Penn State never let up as Hodge pounded a kill and Glass recorded a solo block to put PSU within four points of a set one win. One kill from Glass and three straight by freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) would earn the Nittany Lions a 25-13 set one victory. Penn State took a 3-1 lead in the second set with two blocks and a Balza kill. However, Tiffany Fisher allowed Purdue to tie the set, 3-3, with two consecutive kills. Hodge gave Penn State its lead back with a kill, but Purdue's Ariel Turner answered right back with one of her own to tie it up one final time. Wilson gave the Nittany Lions the lead for good with a monster kill before teaming up with Glass for a block for a 6-4 lead. Purdue didn't let the Lions off easy working within one point on two occasions, but four Boilermaker errors and a Glass kill had Penn State leading, 13-6, and Purdue taking a timeout. After the break, Wilson recorded a service ace to move PSU ahead by eight, 14-6, but Arthurs fired back with a kill. The two squads traded points until another Purdue error and Hodge kill had Purdue calling a second timeout. The Nittany Lions went on to develop a double-digit advantage thanks to two Brown kills and a Purdue error. Purdue cut Penn State's lead to nine, 23-14, but it was too late for a comeback and Dorton closed out the set with a kill for a 25-15 win. Purdue took only its second lead of the match on a PSU error to open the third set. However, that lead was shortlived as kills by Wilson and Brown and another Purdue error gave Penn State a 4-3 advantage soon after. A Brown ace gave the Nittany Lions some breathing room and junior Alyssa D'Errico set Brown for a kill for a 6-3 edge. Turner posted a kill for Purdue, but a huge kill by Hodge and a solo block by Glass had the Nittany Lions surging ahead and not looking back. By midpoint of the set, Penn State led 15-9 and only increased its lead to nine, 18-9, after a kill by Wilson and back-to-back aces by D'Errico. Errors, which had plagued the Boilermakers for most of the night, would doom them as the set wound down. Purdue registered three more before Glass and Balza joined forces for a block for a 25-15 third set win. The Nittany Lions are back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 28 when they host Ohio State at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network. Minnesota comes to town on Friday, Oct. 30 for a 7 p.m. meeting. The match between the Gophers and the Nittany Lions will be tape-delayed and aired on the Big Ten Network on Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. Live stats and live audio will be available for both matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com.

Buckeyes take 3-1 decision over Purdue

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:40:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State (16-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten) women's volleyball team, behind double-figure kills from Katie Dull (15), Kristen Dozier (11) and Emily Danks (10), won a 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 26-24, 25-18) victory over Purdue (11-9, 3-6) Friday night in St. John Arena. OSU's Dull posted a co-match-high 17.5 points with 15 kills, one ace serve, one solo block and one block assist. Purdue's Tiffany Fisher shared match-high honors recording 16 kills and three assist blocks. Set one was close early with seven ties and five lead changes. Purdue opened the set with a Kristen Arthurs - Anna Drewry block and an Arthurs kill for a 2-0 lead. OSU tied the set at two with a Kelli Barhorst kill and a Dull ace serve. A Purdue error gave OSU a 3-2 lead. A kill from Arthurs tied the set at three. An OSU error and a Fisher-Drewry block gave the Boilermakers a 5-3 lead. At 8-6 Purdue, three Purdue errors gave OSU a 9-8 lead. A Buckeye error tied the set at nine. At 12-all, two Purdue errors gave Ohio State a 14-12 lead. A Drewry kill cut the margin to one at 14-13. Kills from Anna Szerszen and Dozier gave OSU a 16-13 lead. The Buckeyes held the lead to reach set point at 24-18 with a Chelsea Noble ace serve. An Ariel Turner kill stopped the set point at 24-19. A kill from Dozier gave Ohio State a 25-19 set win and a 1-0 lead in the match. The Buckeyes hit .308 for the set to .121 for Purdue. OSU opened set two with a Dull solo block and a kill for a 2-0 lead. Lisa Pierce, with a kill, cut the lead to 2-1. Two kills from Danks gave Ohio State a 4-1 lead. Two kills from Jaclyn Hart, one each from Fisher and Pierce tied the set at five. Tied at eight, two OSU errors gave Purdue a 10-8 lead. At 19-17, kills from Carrie Gurnell and Pierce made it 21-17 Purdue. A kill from Dull made it 21-18. Buckeye kills from Dull and Szerszen and Purdue kills from Arthurs and Fisher moved the score to 23-20 Boilermakers. A Purdue error and a kill from Szerszen cut the lead to 23-22. Fisher gave Purdue set point at 24-22 with a kill. A Danks kill stop the set point at 24-23. Purdue won the set, 25-23 with a kill from Gurnell to tie the match at one set each. The Boilermakers hit .333 for the set to .263 for Ohio State. In a tight set three, the squads shared 17 ties and had nine lead changes. At 11-all, two kills from Fisher gave Purdue a 13-11 lead. At 17-15, an Ashley Hughes kill and a Purdue error tied the set at 17. OSU kills from Barhorst and Dull gave OSU a 19-17 lead. Trailing, 20-18, two OSU errors tied the set at 20. Purdue took a 21-20 lead off an OSU error. Two Szerszen kills and one from Fisher tied the set at 22. An OSU error gave Purdue a 23-22 lead. Dozier tied the set at 23 with a kill. A Purdue error gave OSU set point at 24-23. Gurnell stopped the set point with a kill to tie the set at 24. The Buckeye had a second set point at 25-24 off a Dozier kill. A Dull kill ended the set, 26-24 for Ohio State to give the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead in the match. Purdue outhit Ohio State, .346 to .316 in the set. Tied at two in set four, a kill from Dull and two Purdue error gave the Buckeyes a 5-2 lead. Purdue responded with kills from Fisher and Hart to cut the lead to one at 5-4. Buckeye kills from Szerszen and Danks and two Purdue errors opened a 9-4 OSU lead as Purdue called time out. At 11-6, a kill and an ace serve by Danks made the Buckeye lead six at 13-6. Leading 21-16, an OSU error and an Emily Ehlers-Fisher block cut the OSU lead to three at 21-18 forcing a Buckeye time out. Ohio State kills from Dozier and Barhorst and a Purdue error set match point at 24-18. The Buckeyes won the set, 25-18 with a kill from Hughes to win the match, 3-1. Ohio State hit .364 for the set to .097 for the Boilermakers For the match, Ohio State hit .306 to .222 for Purdue. The Buckeyes had a 58-53 advantage in kills and a five to one margin in ace serves. Noble posted a match-high two for Ohio State. The Buckeyes gave up 11 service errors to seven for Purdue. Defensively, Purdue had a 41-39 edge in digs with OSU's Dull posting a match-high 12. At the net, Purdue had a 6-5 edge in team blocks. Arthurs, Fisher and Drewry shared match-high honors with three assist blocks each for Purdue. At setter, OSU's Hughes posted 48 assists in the contest to Hart's 38 for Purdue.

Purdue builds on big win, takes down Illinois

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:13:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Joey Elliott passed for 166 yards and ran for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Purdue beat Illinois 24-14 Saturday to avoid a letdown after upsetting Ohio State last week. Ralph Bolden ran for 78 yards and a touchdown, and Jaycen Taylor ran for 71 yards and a score for the Boilermakers, who rushed for 220 yards on 39 carries. Mikel LeShoure rushed 15 times for a career-high 122 yards for the Fighting Illini (1-6, 0-5 Big Ten). Illinois lost its fifth straight, and all have been by double digits. Juice Williams started at quarterback despite Illini coach Ron Zook's decision not to commit to him during the week. Williams completed 9 of 18 passes for 77 yards and ran 14 times for 38 yards. The Boilermakers (3-5, 2-2) won back-to-back games for the first time this season. It was Purdue's first turnover-free game this year. Leshoure got off to a good start. He went 65 yards on an option play in the first quarter before Daniel Dufrene scored on a 4-yard run on the next play to make it 7-0. Taylor's 44-yard run tied the score for Purdue. After Williams threw an interception, Purdue went 68 yards in 10 plays to take the lead. Bolden scored on a 3-yard run, his first touchdown since Week 2, and the Boilermakers took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. Williams was benched and replaced by redshirt freshman Jacob Charest on the next drive, but Illinois went three-and-out. On Purdue's next possession, Elliott scored on a 5-yard quarterback draw to make it 21-7. Illinois had the ball fourth-and-4 at the Purdue 35 when Charest completed a pass to tight end Hubie Graham for 31 yards. A face-mask penalty moved the ball to the Purdue 2-yard line. On second down, Arrelious Benn scored on an end-around, but the play was called back because of holding. Illinois' Matt Eller missed a 23-yard field goal wide left to close the half. Williams came back to start the second half, and he took advantage by scoring on a 6-yard run to cut Purdue's lead to 21-14. Purdue's Carson Wiggs kicked a field goal late in the third quarter to extend Purdue's lead to 24-14.

Purdue shuts out Evansville

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:45:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 18th-ranked Purdue women's soccer team defeated Evansville 3-0 Thursday afternoon at the Varsity Soccer Complex as senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo tied the program's record for career goals scored. ""I'm happy with the energy and attacking mentality we came out with early in the game,"" head coach Robert Klatte said. ""As expected, Evansville set themselves up to make it difficult for us to break them down, and I was really happy that we got some efficient finishing early on. Overall, I thought it was a good performance. We also got timely performances and good minutes out of some kids that haven't seen the field consistently for us throughout the year. I thought they battled and worked and continued to create for us throughout the entire 90 minutes."" Okoroafo scored the second goal of the day for the Boilermakers. In the 19th minute, the Sylvania, Ohio, native pounced on a deflected ball and blasted a shot into the right side of the net from 15 yards out. The goal gave Okoroafo a team-leading seven this season and 34 for her career, which ties her with Lauren Sesselmann for the program's career goals scored record. Okoroafo also broke a tie for second on Purdue's career points list with 83, trailing only the 90-point total recorded by Sesselmann from 2001-05. Purdue (9-3-3) did not have to wait long to get on the board. In the eighth minute, sophomore Katie Leinert fed the ball to junior Jessica Stellhorn, who crossed it into the box. Alexis Tryba was waiting for the cross and headed the ball into the right side of the net to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead. The Carmel, Ind., native scored the fourth game-winning goal of her career, and Stellhorn moved into a tie with Sesselmann for second on Purdue's all-time game-winning assists list with her seventh as a Boilermaker. Purdue's third and final goal came just 58 seconds after Okoroafo's record-tying score. Senior Katie Seeger took the ball near the end line on the right side of the net. When she went to cross the ball, an Evansville defender tried to clear it back to the right and instead knocked it past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for an own goal. It was the first own goal given to Purdue since Ohio State knocked a ball into its own net for the game-winning goal in the Boilermakers' 2-1 victory in the quarterfinal round of last year's Big Ten Tournament. Evansville (5-10) spent almost the entire game playing defense. The Purple Aces only took one shot, which was not on goal, and took zero corner kicks as Purdue tied program records for fewest allowed in all three categories. Junior Carianne Betts was awarded the start in goal and responded with her first career shutout in just her second career start. The Boilermakers blanked their opponent for the second consecutive game and sixth time this season. ""Alexis' header was fantastic,"" Klatte said. ""We put pressure on them, which created the own goal. Jessica Okoroafo got back on the mark, which is fantastic for her. I'm disappointed that we didn't finish more. I think that's the only thing we walk away from this game feeling, that we have to be more proficient in front of goal. If we do that, I think we are a dangerous, competitive team. We have five games remaining to prove that and win a Big Ten title, which is something we've never done, and put ourselves in fantastic position to head into the NCAA tournament."" The Boilermakers recorded season-high totals in shots, shots on goal and corner kicks. Purdue's 18 shots on goal and 16 corner kicks better the team's previous highs of 16 shots on goal from Sept. 5 vs. Valparaiso and 12 corner kicks in the Oct. 2 game vs. Michigan State, while the 35 shots tie the total recorded against Valparaiso. Purdue scored first for the 11th time this season and improved to 9-1-1 when tallying the game's first score. The Boilermakers, who hold a 19-6 scoring edge in the first half, have equaled the 2001 team for the third-highest single-season goal total in the first half in program history. Purdue is now 6-1-2 at home this season and has outscored its opponents 19-4 at the Varsity Soccer Complex. Purdue leads the all-time series with Evansville 2-0 and has outscored the Purple Aces 11-0 in those two matchups. The Boilermakers improve to 8-1 all-time against members of the Missouri Valley Conference, while Evansville falls to 3-18-1 against the Big Ten.