CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Big Ten scoring leader Janelle Flaws scored three times in the final 10 minutes to break a scoreless stalemate as No. 22 Illinois defeated Purdue women's soccer, 3-0, on a windy Sunday afternoon in Central Illinois.
The Boilermakers (6-3-1, 2-2 Big Ten) saw their nine-game streak of not conceding more than one goal in any game this season come to an end. Purdue had been one of only three Big Ten teams in which Flaws did not score against last season while leading the country with 23 goals. But Sunday she converted on two semi-breakaway opportunities after flirting with the offsides flag as well as a penalty kick. The senior leads the league with 11 goals this season after scoring five this week.
The Boilermakers remained winless (0-9) all-time against the Fighting Illini (8-2, 3-1 Big Ten) in Champaign. The road team has still never won in the series.
The wind was gusting in from the north/northwest the entire day. Purdue was unable to take advantage of having the wind at its back in the first half and was on the defensive for a good portion of the second half when the teams switched ends. But it wasn't until the 80th minute that Illinois finally broke through and capitalized on one of its chances.
Goalkeeper Erika Yohn made four of her six saves in the second half and was in good position multiple times to snare shots and loose balls as the Illini were constantly on the attack for the opening 15 minutes of the second half. However, Yohn struggled at times with goal kicks and other restarts while kicking into the wind in the second half.
Hope D'Addario played a ball up the right flank to Flaws in the 80th minute that setup the first goal of the game, scored 1-v-1 against Yohn. Alia Abu-Douleh was sandwiched in between Vanessa Korolas and Mollie Kuramoto as all three players went to play the ball as it was served from the endline back to the top of the 18-yard box in the 88th minute. The Illini were granted the penalty kick and Flaws scored into the bottom right corner of the net.
Flaws completed the hat trick with a goal in the final minute of regulation. Goalkeeper Claire Wheatley's goal kick carried to midfield with the aide of the wind where it grazed off the head of a Boilermaker and again came to Flaws on the move. It was the first hat trick against Purdue since Minnesota's Taylor Uhl scored three times at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex in October 2012.
Alex Hairston had the Boilers' best scoring chance of the game in the 69th minute, missing wide left from the right flank after Maddy Williams connected a nice left-to-right diagonal pass to her fellow forward on the move. Erika Arkans, Nikki Hively and Williams all forced Wheatley to make saves with shots on frame.
Yohn's best save of her six was a diving stop to her left near the right post on a one-touch shot by Illinois' Nicole Breece from the right flank in the 16th minute.
Holly Gregory, Mikayla Lasky, Kim Love, Korolas and Kuramoto went the distance among the Purdue field players. Christa Szalach logged 70 minute to lead the reserves, playing the entire second half.
The Boilermakers are back in action Friday when they host Minnesota at 7 p.m.