Sept. 2, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Freshmen Alex Hairston and Chinyelu Asher teamed up for the only goal of the game to cap a frenetic rush up the field in the second half, leading Purdue women's soccer to a 1-0 victory against Colorado Friday evening in the first-ever night game at the Varsity Soccer Complex.
Hairston scored her second goal of the season in the 63rd minute, finishing off a rush up the left flank in which Hairston and Asher strung together multiple passes. Hairston used one final touch on the left side of the 18-yard box to separate from the nearby defender and provide herself with a clear lane to shoot into the left side of the net.
But it was Asher that setup the goal with a strong will, helping the Boilers (2-3) maintain possession near midfield. The key play in the sequence of passes and dribbles proved to be a slide tackle, preventing a Colorado player from clearing the ball.
Hairston has scored the game-winning goal in both of Purdue's 1-0 victories early this season. The Buffaloes (2-2) have been shutout 1-0 in back-to-back games after scoring eight times in their first two games of the year.
But Colorado nearly sent the game to overtime Friday. Kate Russell's diving header in the 84th minute hit off the crossbar and caromed away. Purdue goalkeeper Clara Kridler also came up with a key save in the final minute, stopping a sliding one-touch shot by Hayley Hughes in the heart of the six-year box with only 35 seconds remaining.
Kridler finished with six saves and the Purdue defense helped her out by limiting the Buffaloes to only two corner kick chances.
The Boilermakers had five corner opportunities, and their lone first-half chance nearly gave them an early lead. In the eighth minute, Mollie Kuramoto won the ball with a header on the right side of the 18-yard box. The ball got past Colorado goalkeeper Annie Brunner and was headed toward the left post when it was knocked down in front of the goal line by a defender for a team save.
Brunner made the top save of the game in the 83rd minute, diving to her left to deflect away a shot by Hairston from the heart of the 18-yard box. The Buffaloes were able to clear the ensuing corner kick, the Boilers' final such opportunity of the night.
The game started at 7 p.m. amidst temperatures in the mid-90s. By the time Purdue was celebrating its victory with a large crowd at the end of the night, the temperature had dropped into the low-80s. In an effort to combat the heat, the Boilers shuffled players in and out regularly throughout the game, using 22 total players. Colorado had only four subs enter the game.
Purdue center backs Brookley Rogers and Jessica Warren were the only Boilers that went the distance. Alexis Tryba logged 40 minutes to lead the reserves.
Friday marked the opening night of the Illini/Boilermaker Cup, a Big Ten-Pac-12 challenge weekend that features Colorado and USC visiting Champaign and West Lafayette. USC (2-3) defeated No. 17 Illinois, 3-1, Friday evening, handing the Fighting Illini (4-1) their first loss of the season. The Trojans play at Purdue Sunday and Colorado takes on Illinois.
The Purdue-USC game Sunday at the Varsity Soccer Complex is set for 1 p.m. An All-Tournament Team will be selected after the conclusion of the Illinois-Colorado game Sunday, which is set for a 2 p.m. (EDT) start.