Aug. 25, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - No. 21 Purdue won its season opener over Western Kentucky, 4-1, in first-round action at the Boilermaker Challenge Cup. The Old Gold and Black will face San Diego State, which dispatched Butler 2-0, Sunday at 1 p.m. for the tournament title.
"It was a good performance," said head coach Rob Klatte. "We did a great job of keeping possession and staying mobile. In the first half, we dribbled too much and didn't have that finishing mentality, but we got that corrected in the second half."
The Boilermakers and Lady Toppers entered the second half tied at 1-1, but Purdue responded with three unanswered goals over the next 9:22 to put the match out of reach.
Kalie Grambeau opened Purdue's second-half scoring run in the 49th minute with her goal off a Kristin Hetzel corner kick, which was sent into the 18-yard box by Shauna Stapleton. Rebecca Robison also got a piece of the ball before Grambeau punched it in.
Sylvia Forbes followed with a score two minutes later, then Defending Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jessica Okoroafo used her speed to break through WKU's defense to net Purdue's fourth and final goal of the afternoon.
Purdue outshot the Lady Toppers, 26-8. WKU goalkeeper Meredith Goodson was forced to make 10 saves in a losing effort, while Lauren Mason and Jenny Bradfisch combined for three.
The Boilermakers grabbed the match's first lead in the 23rd minute when Shauna Stapleton connected with Parrissa Eyorokon from six yards out. However, WKU was quick to respond scoring a minute later off a free kick from Jamie Silverberg to her sister, Jenna.
"When you allow a goal like that all you're doing is putting more pressure on yourself," said Klatte. "We made a huge mistake by not marking their player."
Purdue's second half lead allowed Klatte to make use of his team's depth, which should help them Sunday against the Aztecs. The Boilermakers utilized 23 players, 12 of them coming off the bench.
The Boilermakers will play the Aztecs on the East Field for the Boilermaker Challenge Cup, while WKU and Butler will battle for the consolation prize on the West Field. Both matches begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
If you can't attend the match, listen to Steve Hall and Andrew Staley on 1410 WLAS-AM or over the World Wide Web at purduesports.com. Hall and Staley start their broadcast at 12:50 p.m.