Oct. 8, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - For the second time in four games Purdue was victimized by its own aggressiveness, losing to the 13th-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 1-0, on a penalty kick.
The game-winner was delivered by Lauren Tanchon in the 24th minute. Tanchon's first goal of the season was buried into the right corner of the net past Lauren Mason.
Purdue (6-6, 2-4 Big Ten) also lost at Ohio State two weeks ago, 1-0, under similar circumstances.
The penalty kick was awarded after Kristin Lichtenberg slid in an attempt to clear the ball out of the 18-yard box; however, the referee stopped play and ruled that the Purdue defender interfered with Therese Heaton's progress towards the goal.
"We need to be more diligent in the way we organize our defense and make sure that we're not creating free scoring opportunities for our opponents," said head coach Rob Klatte. "Overall, I think my team gave a great performance, but we just have to score goals. I am proud of the team's enthusiasm, fight and drive that it demonstrated throughout the match."
The loss was Purdue's fourth straight, equaling the third-longest losing streak in team history. Of the Boilermakers' six losses this season, four have been by one-goal margins. Purdue also has won four one-goal matches.
Purdue played another solid game on defense in spite of the ill-timed foul, clearing out two corner kicks and blocking five shots.
The Wolverines (8-3-2, 5-1-1 Big Ten) finished the match with 14 shots, with only six coming in the second half. Forward Melissa Dobbyn led the Wolverines with six shots, but was robbed twice by Mason in one-on-one situtations.
However, Mason's biggest save of the match occurred late in the first half, smothering a Tanchon direct free kick taken 10-yards in front of the net. Because of the close proximity of the free kick, Klatte positioned his entire team along the goal line to prevent the insurance goal.
In the second half, Michigan recorded only one quality shot, which was knocked away by Maureen Carey at the left post. Mason and Carey combined for six saves.
As well as the defense played, their offensive counterparts had a rough time converting their shots into goals. On several occasions, crosses coming from the outside flanks did not connect with their intended midfield targets; in six corner kick opportunities, the Boilermaker attackers found themselves thwarted on every scoring attempt.
Kim Comisar's corner kick in the 83rd minute found three teammates, but none were able to push it across the goal line. Lichtenberg headed the ball first on the fly, but it was blocked by a Wolverine defender. Parrissa Eyorokon followed with a shot, which was knocked down by Michigan goalkeeper Megan Turra, and Arin Yarc's final effort hit the right post.
Turra completed the match with five saves, three of which came in the last 10 minutes.
Purdue finished with 17 shots. Comisar led the team with five shots in 51 minutes of playing time.
The Boilermakers return to the Varsity Soccer Complex Sunday at 1 p.m., playing host to the Michigan State Wolverines. The match can be heard live on 1410 WLAS-AM and via purduesports.com.