Griffith Scores as Boilermakers Keep Winning
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Two second-half goals propelled the Purdue soccer team to a fifth consecutive win with a 2-1 victory at Illinois on Thursday night at Demirjian Park.
The Boilermakers (7-1-2, 2-0-0 Big Ten) have won five in a row and seven of their last eight games, and they are off to their best start to a season since 2007. For the first time since 2017, Purdue is unbeaten in Big Ten play after two road games.
Senior forward Sarah Griffith scored the game’s first goal, in the 55th minute, and Purdue extended its lead to 2-0 two minutes later on a Fighting Illini (4-5-0, 0-2-0 Big Ten) own goal. Illinois scored its lone goal in the 83rd minute off a rebound on a penalty kick.
Illinois had a 19-13 advantage in shots, though Purdue held a 9-8 edge in shots on goal. Griffith had a match-high-tying seven shots and four shots on goal, while two Boilermakers had two shots, both on goal. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova made a career-high-tying seven saves and her U of I counterpart stopped eight shots.
Griffith gave the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead at 54:48. She received the ball near the sideline in front of the Purdue bench, dribbled downfield and into the corner of the 18-yard box. The ball was poked away near the corner of the goal box, but as it rolled towards the endline, the Illini keeper dove and pushed the ball out and away from the goal. Griffith quickly retrieved the ball and sent an arcing, left-footed shot that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the far side of the goal.
Exactly two minutes later, at 56:48, Illinois scored an own goal to extend the Purdue advantage to 2-0. The play began with a throw-in on the far sideline, and junior defender Lauren Holleran then sent a cross into the 18-yard box. An Illini defender headed the ball near the penalty spot into the near corner of the net.
Illinois cut the Boilermaker advantage in half at 82:42 on a goal by Hope Breslin. A foul was called in the box, which led to a penalty kick. Bova made a great save on the initial attempt, but Breslin was there to connect on her own rebound to make it a 2-1 match.
Purdue was out-shot 10-7 in the first half, and Bova made two saves while the U of I keeper stopped two shots for a scoreless opening 45 minutes.
The visitors had five shots in the first 19 minutes, though just one, by Holleran, was on target and saved. Illinois followed with the next six opportunities in a six-minute span, but the Purdue defense did not allow a shot on goal.
Griffith then had a shot saved in the 30th minute, and another on a great opportunity in the 39th. Bova made a nice save in the final minute of the half on Illinois’ first shot in more than 11 minutes.
In the second half, the Fighting Illini had a 9-6 advantage in shots, though all six of Purdue’s shots were on target. Both goalkeepers made five saves.
Freshman forward Gracie Dunaway had an opportunity saved in the opening two minutes, and Bova registered a save of her own less than three minutes later. Sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews and Griffith each had shots stopped before Griffith found the first goal in the 55th minute.
Purdue’s lead was 2-0 in the 57th thanks to the own goal, which came after a Mathews shot on goal and another Boilermaker corner kick.
Two saves by Bova and one by U of I’s keeper followed before the penalty that led to Illinois’ lone goal in the 83rd minute.
The Purdue defense proceeded to block two shots and Bova saved another in the final four minutes to preserve the victory.
Up next, the Boilermakers return home to host Iowa on Sunday, September 26, with kickoff at Folk Field set for 1 p.m. ET. Admission is free for all fans to every regular-season home matches in 2021. Sunday is the culminating event of the annual Reunion Weekend, and Purdue soccer alumnae can visit https://boile.rs/SOCReunion21 to RSVP and register.
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