PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER WINS AT OHIO STATE THANKS TO EARLY GOAL
COLUMBUS,
Ohio – Alex Hairston scored only 31 seconds after kickoff, the quickest
goal for Purdue women’s soccer since 2010, and the early lead held up
for a 1-0 victory at Ohio State Sunday afternoon.
The
Boilermakers (6-4-1, 1-2-0 Big Ten) posted their first shutout victory
on the road since the 2011 season opener and their first at Big Ten
opponent since September 2008. Purdue also snapped the Buckeyes’
12-game (10-0-2) unbeaten streak against Big Ten opponents that dated
back to September 2012. Ohio State (7-2-1, 1-1-1 Big Ten) had not lost
any game at home since September 2012 as well.
Hairston scored
for the fifth time in the last six games, her sixth goal of the season
and team-leading 16th career. It was the program’s quickest goal to
begin a game since Kaitlyn Blacha found the back of the 21 seconds
after the opening kickoff of a Halloween 2010 home game against Penn
State. Hairston scored the Boilers’ first goal in Columbus since 2007,
the same year in which they were last victorious in the capital of
Ohio. Purdue has managed to score in each of the first 11 games of the
season.
Goalkeeper Clara Kridler, one of five Ohio natives in
the starting lineup, made two of her three saves in the final seven
minutes to preserve her seventh career solo shutout. Fellow
Columbus-area native Melissa Casella also went the distance at her
defensive midfielder position. Center backs Kim Love and Mikayla Lasky
were on the field throughout as the Boilers limited OSU to just three
shots on goal.
Maddy Williams setup Hairston’s goal with a
through ball to the right side of the 18-yard box. Hairston gained
possession of the pass, dribbled around OSU goalkeeper Jillian McVicker
and scored into a wide open net. McVicker made her first start of the
season Sunday after playing the second half of each of the first 10
games as part of a goalkeeper platoon with Rachel Middleman.
In
the final seconds of the 83rd minute, Kridler made a sliding save in
the heart of the 18-yard box on a one touch shot by OSU’s Michela
Paradiso after Danica Wu chipped the ball into the scoring area. About
three minutes later, Kridler made a diving save to her left after
Paradiso emerged from a scrum of players with a shot from the left side
of the six-yard box.
After surrendering but successfully
clearing away six first-half corner kick chances, the Boilers did not
give up another corner in the final 45 minutes. Lasky was able to clear
the ball off the end line on multiple occasions, conceding throw-ins
instead of corner kicks.
Jordan Pawlik and Hairston both
challenged McVicker with shots in the span of 80 seconds early in the
second half. Pawlik had a long run up the right flank with the ball at
her feet and forced McVicker to make a save. Hairston came through the
middle of the pitch not long after, winning a 1-v-1 battle with the
last OSU defender and forcing McVicker to make a save above her head.
Wu hit the crossbar with a shot in the 40th minute for Ohio State.
Along
with Casella, Lasky and Love, Hadley Stuart also went the distance
among the Purdue field players. Jordan Frick logged 66 minutes at
outside back to lead the reserves, playing the rest of the game after
coming on in the 27th minute.
The Boilermakers posted their
first road win in regulation since October 2011 at Minnesota. Purdue’s
two positive road results since had been overtime victories.
|