Big Ten Network : Women's Soccer Top Stories

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.

Spartans edge Buckeyes in women's soccer

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:33:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 11 Buckeyes dropped a tight 1-0 decision to Michigan State Friday afternoon in East Lansing. Ohio State will now have to wait until Sunday for the result Penn State's contest at Michigan. If the Nittany Lions lose in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes and Penn State will share the Big Ten Conference championship. "Soccer is a cruel sport," head coach Lori Walker said. "I credit Michigan State for capitalizing but while this loss is painful, it could be the best thing for us." The loss was the first for the Buckeyes since Oct. 4 at Penn State. In a physical first half of play, the Buckeyes almost got on the board early but Caitlyn Martin's header off a corner sailed just high seven minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Tiffany Cameron had an opportunity from the right wing but Michigan State goalkeeper Jill Flietstra made the diving save on her shot from 10 yards out. The best Ohio State chance came in the 21st minute when Lauren Steuer's bending shot from the top corner of the box deflected off the top of the crossbar and out of bounds. For the half, Ohio State outshot the Spartans, 6-3, and held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks as the game remained scoreless at the intermission. The Spartans came out of the break strong, recording their best opportunity less than three minutes into the second half when a volley by Olivia Stander hit the crossbar and sailed high. Michigan State would get on the board in the 57th minute when Lauren Hill controlled a long ball from Cara Freeman at the top of the box then turned and fired a shot past a diving Lauren Robertson to take the 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes almost knotted up the score in the 71st minute when Karin Sendel nailed a shot from just inside the 18 that deflected of the right post and out of play. With less than ten minutes less to play, Steuer played a corner back post but the header by Ashley Bowyer sailed high. For the game, the Buckeyes outshot the Spartans, 11-6, and held a 9-1 advantage in corners but were unable to find the back of the net. The Buckeyes close out the regular season at 14-3-2, 7-2-1 in the Big Ten, and will wait to find out their NCAA tournament fate as postseason play begins Friday, Nov. 13.

Dagley's first career goal lifts NU over Illinois, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Caroline Dagley (San Rafael, Calif./The Branson School) scored the first goal of her career as Northwestern women's soccer closed its season with a 1-0 victory over Illinois Friday at Lakeside Field. Dagley's goal, in the 47th minute of the match, came on the Wildcats' first shot of the game. Jessica Palo (Ames, Iowa/Ames) played a ball into the box from the left side that was passed on by Jill Dunn (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) to Dagley, who made a long run down the right side of the field and struck for the score. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made a career-high 11 saves in the match to make the lead hold up for Northwestern (7-10-2), which beat its in-state rival for the second consecutive time. Edwards made six saves in the first half, as Illinois opened the match with a strong wind at its back. The 'Cats offense did not take a shot in the first half. Northwestern nearly extended its lead with seven minutes remaining when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) drilled a shot on target, but Illinois' Alexandrea Kapicka managed to punch it over the net for a save.

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.

Jacobsen's late goal gives UW win over NU

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:29:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – Erin Jacobsen waited until the last minute, but her late goal sealed a 2-1 victory for the Wisconsin women's soccer team Monday as the Badgers topped Northwestern at Lakeside Field to clinch third place in the Big Ten Conference. The win, which helped Wisconsin avoid going to overtime for the ninth time, allowed the Badgers to conclude their regular season on a seven-game unbeaten streak, thanks to Jacobsen's 89th-minute score. After battling for 66 scoreless minutes, Jacobsen turned and connected on a right-footed shot from 30 yards out to improve the Badgers' record to 9-5-5 (5-1-4 Big Ten). The Wildcats dropped to 6-10-2 (3-5-1 Big Ten). ""I thought Northwestern did a great job,"" said head coach Paula Wilkins. ""The game could have gone either way; Northwestern played us hard all over the field. Our players keep finding ways to win games. This young group keeps figuring it out and I continue to be impressed with what they can do."" Paige Adams tallied her third goal of the season to put the Badgers on the board first. In the 14th minute, Laurie Nosbusch played the ball into the right side of the box and Adams beat Northwestern keeper Carolyn Edwards to the lower left to give the Badgers the 1-0 lead. Northwestern responded less than 10 minutes later on a goal by Alicia Herczeg in the 23rd minute of play. Caroline Dagley fed the ball to Herczeg, who put it past a diving Michele Dalton in the UW goal. The first half played out evenly. Northwestern had five shots to Wisconsin's four, with each keeper picking up one save. After going the first half without a corner kick, the Badgers had five corners in the second half. Dalton finished the outing with three saves and Edwards finished with two. The physical match saw 21 fouls called, along with four yellow cards. The Badgers finished with nine shots to the Wildcats' eight. The Badgers' third-place finish in the Big Ten marks the program's best finish since the 2000 season, when UW took second place in conference. The Badgers will now play the waiting game until Monday, Nov. 9, when selections for the NCAA tournament are announced live on ESPNews, starting at 7 p.m.

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.

Spartans register much-needed win over Iowa

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:56:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Michigan State women's soccer team got a much-needed win on Sunday, defeating Iowa, 3-2, in overtime. Just over three minutes into the first overtime, the Spartans got a corner kick that Hannah Peterson sent high into the penalty area. Cara Freeman got a head on the ball and sent it over the hands of Hawkeye keeper Emily Moran for the winning goal and a 3-2 MSU victory. "Coming off of Friday's setback, it was a huge game for us," said Spartan head coach Tom Saxton. "We didn't have our legs today, but we did have our heart and character." With the win, MSU picked up its 10th win of the season and is now 10-4-4 and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have now won at least 10 games in eight of the last 10 seasons. Freshman Olivia Stander got things going for MSU in the 23rd minute. Her unassisted goal came from the left side and beat Moran in the far right corner of the net. "It was nice to get an early goal," Saxton said. "It was pretty windy and that helped but we needed a break." Lauren Hill picked up her team-leading ninth tally of the year just before halftime to give MSU a 2-0 lead. Hill took a pass from Kelsey Tait and then chipped it into the net from six yards out. "That was a critical goal," said Saxton. "We had a ton of chances on Friday but they just weren't going in. Getting two first-half goals against Iowa was important, we realized good things can happen and we capitalized on our chances." Down 2-0 to start the second half, the Hawkeyes (9-10, 1-7) quickly cut into the MSU lead as Keli McLaughlin scored at the 47:44 mark. Iowa's Alex Seydel tied the game with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation, converting a penalty kick, to send the game into overtime. "You could see the determination in our player's eyes," Saxton said. "Cara has had so many close calls this year so I was happy for her and the whole team. It was their heart and character that got it done." MSU will wrap up the regular season on Friday (Nov. 6) when it hosts Ohio State at 3 p.m.

Michigan beats Illinois for first Big Ten win

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:52:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A header from senior Alex Jendrusch (Troy, Mich./Athens) in the 74th minute delivered the University of Michigan women's soccer team its first Big Ten win of the season as it defeated Illinois, 1-0, on Sunday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Michigan was outshot by a 21-4 margin, giving sophomore/freshman Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) plenty of work. She used a career-high 11 saves to record her sixth shutout of the season, establishing a new rookie record and delivering the win. The Wolverines got one shot on goal, but it was all they needed as Jendrusch broke the scoreless stalemate in the 74th minute, heading home a crossing pass from junior Amanda Bowery (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) 12 yards out. Following the goal, the frantic pace in the U-M defensive zone calmed as Kopmeyer had to make just two saves in the game's final 16 minutes. Michigan will put a wrap on the 2009 campaign on Sunday (Nov. 8) against Penn State at noon at the U-M Soccer Complex. Prior to kickoff, the Wolverines will honor their three-member senior class.

No. 15 Ohio State thrashes No. 23 Indiana, 6-0

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:24:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Behind a goal and two assists from junior Lauren Steuer, No. 15 Ohio State defeated No. 23 Indiana, 6-0, Sunday afternoon. The six goals tied the Buckeyes' highest scoring output this season. With the win, the Buckeyes tie the 1996 team for the second-most wins in school history. "I am so proud of this team," head coach Lori Walker said. "It is great to get a win on senior day but we have to finish the regular season strong at Michigan State." In a first half played mostly deep in the Indiana end, the Buckeyes had multiple chances early. Indiana goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth made a diving save on a shot by senior Ashley Bowyer in the 10th minute. Six minutes later, Hollandsworth stopped Bowyer again, this time making another diving save on a Bowyer header off a corner from Steuer. However, Steuer and Bowyer would hook up in the 23rd minute when the co-captain drilled home a shot from six yards out off a Steuer corner to put the Buckeyes up 1-0. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Paige Maxwell doubled the Ohio State lead when she scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season on a perfectly placed shot from the left wing. Neither team was able to muster any more solid chances as the Buckeyes went into the break with the 2-0 lead. Ohio State outshot Indiana 9-2 for the half and held a 7-0 advantage in corners. The Buckeyes did not let up to start the second half as freshman Lauren Granberg's header off a Bowyer free kick in the 47th minute sailed just wide left. Steuer added to the Ohio State lead in 52nd minute when her left-footed corner deflected off an Indiana defender and into the back of the net. Less than ten minutes later, Granberg finished off her sixth goal of the season off a rebound of a Steuer shot to increase the Ohio State lead to 4-0. With just over 15 minutes remaining, freshman Kayla Eckman tallied her second goal of the season when she trapped a Colleen Brady free kick in the box and finished from eight yards out. With just under a minute left to play, Genna Brand capped of the scoring on a shot from 10 yards out off an assist from freshman Karin Sendel. For the game Ohio State outshot Indiana 21-3 and held a 10-0 corner kick advantage. The Buckeyes (14-2-2, 7-1-1 Big Ten) will have a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time in program history when they head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State Friday at 3 p.m.

Spartans fall to Illinois

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Michigan State women's soccer team fell to Illinois, 5-0, on Friday (Oct. 30) in Champaign, Ill. With the loss, MSU fell to 9-4-4 overall and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten, while the Illini improved to 7-7-3 and 2-4-2 in conference play. Illinois' Jenna Carosio set the tone of the game early, scoring the first goal in the 10th minute. Laura Knutson added another in the 21st minute and Niki Read scored just over three minutes later to make it 3-0. Christina Sahly made it 4-0 just before the half. The Fighting Illini outshot MSU, 17-12, for the game. Lauren Hill led the Spartans with three shots.

Wolverines fall to Hawkeyes

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:49:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team struck back to counter an early deficit but could not hang on, falling at Iowa, 2-1, on Friday evening (Oct. 30) at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Sophomore Kristen Goncalves (Ann Arbor, Mich./Gabriel Richard Catholic) scored her third of the season, moving into a tie for the team lead, while sophomore/freshman Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) made six saves in the effort. Michigan found itself behind early when Iowa jumped on the board in the 11th minute on rebound in the box to go ahead 1-0. Goncalves leveled the score four minutes later, steering around the goalkeeper and depositing a shot from the top of the box to cap a breakaway attempt. Iowa was forced to be selective with its shots, missing the mark on just one shot between goals. Kopmeyer was up to the task, making five saves in the interim. It was not until the 64th minute that the Hawkeyes exacted the deciding goal on a shot from 25 yards out that caught the right corner of the net.

Wildcats fall to Gophers in overtime

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:12:00 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Kylie Kallman's overtime goal was the difference Friday as Northwestern women's soccer fell, 1-0, at Minnesota. The two sides battled Mother Nature for most of the match, as rain and cold temperatures created sloppy playing conditions and limited scoring chances for both sides. Kallman scored the game's only goal in the 98th minute. A Northwestern foul gave the Gophers (11-5-3, 4-3-2 Big Ten) a free kick from the top right corner of the 18-yard box, which Minnesota's Katie Bethke put in front of the net. Kallman tipped the ball into the goal for her second tally of the season. Northwestern's best scoring chance of the match also came in overtime, when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) put a high, arcing shot on frame that Minnesota goalkeeper Cat Parkhill just managed to get underneath and hold. The Wildcats (6-9-2, 3-4-1) took 10 shots in the match, including four from Alicia Herczeg (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura Hills). Herczeg recorded NU's other shot on goal in the first half. Four Minnesota natives saw action for Northwestern Friday, including Briana Westlund (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park). The freshman center back took one shot off a corner kick in the first half. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made four saves in the contest for the 'Cats.

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.

No. 25 PSU sends No. 23 IU to first home loss

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:37:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—With a constant rainfall and a persistent home team, the No. 25 Penn State women's soccer team used a Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) 80th-minute goal to defeat Indiana, 2-1, at Armstrong Stadium on Thursday night. Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) tallied her 10th goal of the year in the 21st minute and Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) provided both assists to move the Nittany Lions back into a tie for first place in the Big Ten standings with No. 15 Ohio State. "It's something else to win on the road, in the rain and win in a situation where you have to win," said head coach Erica Walsh after the match. "To do all three is awesome. We've been saying that 'Penn State finds a way to win.' The team has kept saying that, we have a white board where it says it and we have been finding a way to win games [like these]." Penn State (10-5-3, 6-1-1 Big Ten) looked to lose its stride, while Indiana (10-4-2, 2-3-2 Big Ten) was cruising after an equalizing goal in the 70th minute. In typical Nittany Lion fashion, the teams showed a great resolve as Nairn put away a beautiful Schoepfer through ball across space for the game winner. The Hoosiers tied it up as Jocelyn Moses scored on a cross from Carly Samp. It was Moses' third goal of the season and provided Indiana all the momentum. Nevertheless, Schoepfer corralled a loose ball 45 yards from net and sent a pass to Toney, who was positioned near the top of the penalty arc. Toney and the IU defense let the ball go through and Nairn ran onto it unmarked and she blasted the ball into the right-side of the net for a lead Penn State would never let go. "Part of me didn't think [Toney] was going to leave it," Nairn recalled. "But we've been practicing runs in the box and it paid off. I had it right there and made it count." As for whether or not this was the most important goal of the year so far for the freshman midfielder she agreed. "I'd say so, this part of the season," Nairn added. "We have to get points and keep winning. As a team it wasn't our best performance tonight but we came away with the points that we had to get. We've been working all week and working on long range shots. We couldn't get them on frame, when we had opportunities we made the most of them." Make the most of the opportunities the Lions did. For the first time since a 2-0 win over Wisconsin in 2007, Penn State made both shots put on net, leaving the opposing goalkeepers without a save. In a tight game that was mostly played between the two respective penalty areas. Just 15 shots were taken by both squads as Penn State fired a season-low nine shots and Indiana attempted six on a slick Armstrong field. "The stats were weird, we had 70 percent of the possession in the second half," Walsh said. "But we weren't dangerous enough in the final third. It was kind of like the Michigan State game where we came alive in the second half at the right time." With Indiana holding much of the possession in the first half, PSU went ahead when Toney and Schoepfer connected on a one-touch play that saw Toney blast the ball through the hands of Indiana's Lauren Hollandsworth and off the crossbar and in. The play was set up by Schoepfer off a Nikki Watts throw in on the near side touchline. The win by Penn State's was the first by a visiting team in Bloomington this season in 10 tries, while it was the 17th win in 19 matches overall in the series over the Hoosiers. Additionally, PSU moved to 21-2-2 all-time when Toney scores a goal. Although PSU continued one streak (eight-straight unbeaten games over Indiana at Armstrong Stadium), another came to an end on the individual level. Despite two assists, Schoepfer's seven-game scoring streak game to a halt. She was tied her at third all-time in Penn State history with Christie Welsh. Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) earned her sixth solo shutout of the season and the team's ninth clean sheet by making four saves in net. Naeher was never seriously tested as all the shots came from distance by the IU attackers. Penn State's victory moved the Nittany Lions back into a tie for first place in the Big Ten standings with Ohio State. Both teams are 6-1-1 in conference play with 16 points. Ohio State faces Indiana in Columbus on Sunday. The Nittany Lions were without the services of starting central defender Lexi Marton (Aurora, Ontario) who is with the Canadian U-20 squad in El Paso, Texas for two games against Mexico. Joining on the trip is reserve midfielder Rachel Lamarre (Montreal, Quebec). Both should return Sunday morning in time for the home finale vs. Purdue. The Nittany Lions will when return to Jeffrey Field Senior Day. Penn State's seven seniors will be honored 15 minutes prior to the match with Purdue (Noon ET). Live stats will be available through GameTracker on GoPSUsports.com as will live streaming video with Greg Boyce on the call with Tom Ferguson with color analysis.

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.

Michigan, Wisconsin settle for 0-0 draw

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:19:00 +0000

ANN ABROR, Mich. -- Sophomore/freshman Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) matched the program record for rookie shutouts as the University of Michigan women's soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie with Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon at the U-M Soccer Complex. Kopmeyer made five saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season. Wisconsin had a handful of chances at the U-M net in the first half, but only managed to test Kopmeyer in the 33rd minute. On a Badger shot at the right post from 25 yards out, Kopmeyer shuffled across the goal mouth and dove to her left to smother the ball and pacify. Kopmeyer was again tested in the 70th minute on a near post attempt, but dove for the ball halfway up the frame and denied the opportunity. Michigan earned a free kick at midfield in the waning seconds of regulation and nearly converted. Junior Jackie Carron's (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) serve went straight to the head of sophomore Courtney Mercier (Erie, Pa./McDowell) where she directed it towards the crossbar, sailing just over the ironwork to force overtime. In extra time, the Wolverine offense began to flow culminating in a pair of crossing attempts just before the midway point of each overtime frame. Sophomore Kristen Goncalves (Ann Arbor, Mich./Gabriel Richard Catholic) broke down the right side in the third period and sent a pass in front to an engaged sophomore Meaghan Hennessy (Westlake, Ohio/Magnificat). Hennessy tried to break free but could not find the pass. In the final frame, Goncalves again tried to feed a teammate with a low cross but a flailing Wisconsin defender was able to redirect it away from the open U-M attacker. Michigan takes to the road for the final time during the 2009 season with games at Iowa on Friday (Oct. 30) and Illinois on Sunday (Nov. 1).

Spartans rally to take down Gophers, 2-1

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The University of Minnesota soccer team saw their 1-0 second half lead slip away this afternoon (Oct. 25), as host Michigan State answered with two goals in less than a 90 second span for the 2-1 win. After a scoreless first half, Minnesota (10-5-3, 3-3-2) was first to break through in the second when Tamara Strahota (Burnsville, Minn.) scored for the second straight game. Strahota was carrying the ball up the field wide, and as she converged on the goal she had the defender beat. Teammate Shari Eckstrom (Champain Park, Minn.) was also streaking on goal, attacking the center of the net. Seeing her, Strahota fired off a crossing pass, but before it could get to Eckstrom a Michigan State defender got in the way and defleted the pass into the goal. The deflected shot for a goal gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead at the 58:54 mark. Michigan State (9-3-4, 2-3-2) evened the score not long after when their Laura Heyboer created an opporunity deep in the Minnesota zone. Heyboer fired off a point blank shot that was stopped by the Gophers' Cat Parkhill (Apple Valley, Minn.). The deflection was left rolling along the goalline and before Parkhill could recover for the second save, the Spartan's Megan Pines tapped it in. After tying the game at 71:10, Michigan State took the lead at 72:38, when Hayboer again took center stage. She managed to split the Gopher defense and dribble aournd the last defender before firing off the shot for the game winner. Minnesota will now return home for their final two matches begining with Northwestern on Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Dickison, Hoosiers shut out Hawkeyes, 2-0

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:03:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Redshirt freshman Lex Dickison made a diving save to her right on a penalty kick by Iowa's Alex Seydel in the 87th minute to preserve a one-goal lead for the 24th ranked Hoosiers and they would go on to claim a 2-0 victory over the Hawkeyes on Sunday afternoon at Armstrong Stadium. The teams battled the entire first half and most of the second half with neither one able to put home the elusive first goal of the match. But Jocelyn Moses gathered a rebound in the middle of the box and lifted it into the top left corner of the goal at the 82:24 mark to give the Hoosiers (10-3-2, 2-2-2 Big Ten) 1-0 lead. "Lex made spectacular diving save on the PK that saved the lead for us," Indiana head coach Mick Lyon said afterwards. "And it was just as important for us to get the first goal of the game and Jocelyn was able to come through for us." Devon Beach took a pass on the right wing and made a run down the right side of the field with an Iowa defender in pursuit. As she neared the endline, she made an abrupt stop and the Hawkeye (8-9, 0-7 Big Ten) defender went sailing past and she then made her move towards the goal. She was able to dribble in and get off a shot that was blocked by an Iowa defender but rolled right to Moses in the middle of the box and she put it home for her second goal of the year. Beach was credited with her fifth assist on the play, which leads the team. Four minutes after the Hoosier took the lead on Moses' goal, Iowa drew a foul inside the box and was awarded a penalty kick. Alex Seydel stepped up to take the shot against Dickison in goal. Seydel moved towards the ball and struck a low shot that looked destined to squeeze inside the left post, but Dickison dove at the last possible second and was able to push it wide and out of bounds for a corner kick to maintain the 1-0 IU lead. Junior Lauren Hollandsworth got the start in goal for the Hoosiers in the place of injured starter Lindsay Campbell. Dickison then came on to start the second half and made three saves to pick up her first collegiate win. As the game's final minute was winding down, junior defender Leigh Anne Cummings cleared the ball beyond midfield and freshman Orianica Velasquez Herrera was able to run under it and hold of the Iowa defender to score her team-leading fifth goal of the season with 10 seconds left to give the Hoosiers the 2-0 win. Cummings earned her first assist of the year on the goal. Indiana outshot the Hawkeyes 14-6 in the game, with Velasquez Herrera taking five. Senor Kristin Arnold came off the bench and was a force for the Hoosiers with four shots and some nice passing to set up other scoring opportunities for teammates. Indiana is in the midst of four games in 10 days as they take on Penn State at Armstrong Stadium on Thursday, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Then on Sunday they travel to Ohio State followed by a make-up game against Purdue on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.

Penn State dismantles Illinois, 6-0

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:35:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There may have been a power outage prior to Sunday's match at Jeffrey Field, but Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) and the Nittany Lions made sure there was no shortage on the field in a 6-0 win over Illinois. Schoepfer notched her first collegiate hat trick, which was the first by a Nittany Lion since Tiffany Weimer in 2005. "I think the first one stood out," Schoepfer recalled of the hat trick. "I think because it was against the run of play. I didn't even expect to score it, it was a nice ball from Christine [Nairn] and I made a good turn. It's always fun to do celebrations on this side of the field since [the benches] are right there." With a live Big Ten Network broadcast in town and power restored just seconds prior to the opening whistle, Penn State (9-5-2, 5-1-1 Big Ten) wasted little time in disposing of Illinois (6-7-3, 1-4-2 Big Ten). Coming off a disappointing tie a week ago at Wisconsin, where the Badgers game back from a two-goal deficit, the Nittany Lions made sure to keep pushing to the final horn, putting away a season-high number of goals this year. "This is a big one," Head coach Erica Walsh said after the game in responding to the Wisconsin draw. "I have a ton of respect for what Illinois has done year in and year out." A back-and-forth first half saw Penn State get on the board first when Schoepfer took a cross from Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) and slotted the ball top shelf over Illinois' Alexandra Kapicka (seven saves) in the 22nd minute. "I kept telling the coaches when I was struggling that it's going to take one goal and I'm going to get going," Schoepfer said. "It's been working for me since Michigan State, it's been clicking for me and I've been ready to play." Twenty-two minutes later, Schoepfer again was in the fray when her assist set up Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) for the junior forward's ninth goal of the season just 47 seconds from halftime. The Nittany Lions entered the intermission with the 2-0 lead thanks to a 10-6 edge in shots, finishing goals with precise touches. "[Assistant coach] Ann [Cook] has been working with them almost every single day," Added Walsh. "She's taken the forward away from the group, almost alienating them, and has them hitting 100 balls into the back of the net. It seems to be working." Illinois kept things at 2-0 for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but Toney connected with Schoepfer on a beautiful early ball to give Schoepfer a breakaway chance. The senior forward sent the ball over the diving Kapicka for a 3-0 lead in the 65th minute. The Nittany Lions didn't let off the gas, looking like the better rested and faster team, pushing forward and struck again when Schoepfer completed the hat trick five and a half minutes later. Alli Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) sent a gorgeous ball through to Schoepfer who ran onto it and scored another breakaway tally in the 71st. With the goal, Schoepfer moved into the team lead for goals at 10, one ahead of Toney. "I think they had their legs underneath them," Walsh said. "They had a little fun in practice this week, all the pieces together let them come out here and have some fun today. I think our big pieces are playing better and Shep and Dani are finding the back of the net. Their confidence is just growing and I think that's the biggest thing." Just 71 seconds later, Rago took a throw in from Ali Schaefer (Las Vegas, Nev.) and attempted a cross from the left wing to the goal area. Instead, Rago's ball sailed over Kapicka's head and in the net on the far post from about 40 yards away. The tally was Rago's first of the season and first three-point day of her collegiate career. "We've had all the lucky breaks," Schoepfer said. "It's about time because this year it's kind of been filled with unlucky breaks for us. Rago's goal was awesome, it was great." With a five-goal advantage intact, the Nittany Lion reserves got a chance to get into the fray. A Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) through ball set up a Maddy Evans (Glenside, Pa.) breakaway goal to cap a 6-0 win in the 79th minute. The 6-0 win was the largest margin of victory ever over the Illini, while also marking the first six-goal game by the Nittany Lions since a similar score line on Nov. 11, 2005 against Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Schoepfer also reached another milestone on her historic day, as she scored in her seventh-straight game, tying with Penn State great Christie Welsh for third all-time in scoring streaks at Penn State. Additionally, Penn State moved to 20-2-2 all-time when Toney scores a goal and 10-0 against the Illini at Jeffrey Field. "Obviously going away to a tough Indiana trip on Thursday we needed this one under our belt," said Walsh. The Nittany Lions will be back in action when they travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on the Hoosiers of Indiana this Thursday. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. and live stats will be available through GameTracker on GoPSUsports.com.

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.