Sept. 27, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. - The 15th-ranked Purdue women's soccer team earned a 2-0 win over Northwestern on Sunday at Lakeside Field.
"I thought our performance today was exactly what we've been trying to attain as a team," head coach Robert Klatte said. "We possessed the ball, we were patient at times, and yet we matched Northwestern's spirit and fight. If we can combine those two things, technical ability with playing the full 90 minutes, I think it bodes well for the rest of our Big Ten season."
Purdue (6-2-2) played a scoreless first half for the third consecutive game after opening the season with a first-half goal in six of the first seven games. The Boilermakers controlled possession in their attacking third of the field for the majority of the 45 minutes and held a 4-3 edge in shots and corner kicks at the half.
The Boilermakers finally broke through with a goal by Katie Leinert in the 62nd minute. Senior Katie Seeger crossed the ball from the right side, and when the goalkeeper went to punch the ball away she knocked it right to Leinert, who alertly headed the ball into the back of the net. The goal was Leinert's second of the weekend after she also scored the game-tying goal in Friday night's 1-1 tie at Wisconsin.
"I thought we outplayed them, so it was good to get results," Leinert said. "I felt like we outplayed Wisconsin and still didn't win. It was good to get a goal and win the game."
Northwestern (4-6-1) had a chance to score off a corner kick when the ball was sent in to the middle of the box. The Boilermaker defenders swarmed to the ball, which was then headed back to the left side of the net. A Wildcat attacker was waiting all alone but kicked the ball over the crossbar to end the threat.
Purdue continued to hold possession after the Wildcats' threat on goal and was rewarded in the 85th minute. Sophomore Kellie Phillips took a corner kick from the left side of the net, and the ball, which was batted around in the box, eventually found its way to Seeger alone on the right side of the net. The Fallbrook, Calif., native pounced on the loose ball and knocked it past the diving goalkeeper for an insurance goal.
Six field players played the entire 90 minutes, five of whom also played all 110 minutes Friday. Purdue's defensive trio of Sylvia Forbes, Liz Secue and Remi Gibba were on the field for the entire weekend, as were sophomore midfielders Lauren Montenegro and Alexis Tryba. Leinert, who was only off the field for three minutes during Friday's game, also played all 90 minutes Sunday.
Leinert and Seeger both notched their fourth goals of the season. The Boilermakers, who have won six straight against Northwestern, improved to 9-3 all-time against the Wildcats. Purdue is undefeated in conference play after its first two Big Ten games for the seventh time in program history and fourth consecutive season.
Purdue returns to action Friday in the team's Big Ten home opener against Illinois. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff from the Varsity Soccer Complex. Live results and a live radio broadcast can be found at PurdueSports.com.