HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- First-half goals from Maddy Williams and Delia Repasky allowed Purdue women's soccer to overcome an early deficit in a 2-1 road win at Marshall Thursday evening.
The Boilermakers (4-1) posted their fourth consecutive win, outscoring the opposition 10-2 during the streak. Purdue's 4-1 record marks its best five-game start since the 2009 team opened 5-0, posting the program's last four-game win streak in the process.
The Thundering Herd (1-2-1) opened the scoring in the 11th minute, but Williams equalized just under two minutes later when she connected on a penalty kick. Repasky made her season debut in the 41st minute and scored her first collegiate goal two minutes later off an assist from Holly Gregory.
Freshman goalkeeper Erika Yohn made her regular-season debut for the Boilers in her return to her home state. She finished with four saves and helped Purdue successfully defend nine corner kick opportunities for Marshall, including seven in the second half. Yohn is already the third goalkeeper to start for the Boilers this year, a program first despite being only five games into the young season.
Williams scored her second goal of the year and 12th career on her first collegiate penalty kick attempt. She converted with a shot into the left side of the net after Alex Hairston was taken down on the left side of the 18-yard box to create the opportunity. It was Purdue's first PK score since Jordan Pawlik converted last season in the overtime win at Miami (Ohio).
Repasky became the fourth Boilermaker to score her first collegiate goal this season. Gregory's right-to-left cross found her classmate in the heart of the 18-yard box, where Repasky initially hit the crossbar with a header. But she got her own rebound and buried a left-footed shot inside the left post.
Marshall's goal was scored by Myka DeMarco on a shot underneath Yohn from a tight angle near the right post. DeMarco broke free ahead of the Purdue back line and was ruled onside as the ball was played ahead to her up the right flank for what looked like it would become a breakaway opportunity. Instead she took her time in gaining possession of the ball along the endline to the right of the goal, and then deciding to shoot as the defenders converged on her position.
Andrea Petrina had the Boilers' best scoring opportunity of the second half, forcing a Marshall defender to make a team save at the left post on a shot from the inside edge of the 18-yard box in the 61st minute. The sequence began when Hairston created a corner kick opportunity and the ball played in by Megan Kaser from the southeast corner came to Petrina in the middle of the field.
Purdue was fortunate that Marshall missed high on a couple quickly developing scoring chances in the second half. Numerous members of the team admitted after the game Thursday was not its finest performance, yet the Boilermakers still managed to post a road win on an artificial turf surface on a night in which the opponent went ahead early.
Mollie Kuramoto, Mikayla Lasky, Kim Love and Vanessa Korolas went the distance among the Purdue field players. Gregory logged 63 minutes to lead the reserves while seeing action at both midfielder and outside back. She and Petrina started the second half after coming off the bench initially.
The Boilermakers return to action Sunday for their non-conference finale at Youngstown State. Kickoff is set for noon.
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