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Series History
All-Time vs. Nebraska: Nebraska leads 4-2
All-Time in Lincoln: Nebraska leads 2-1
Last Meeting: #24 Nebraska 4, Purdue 0 (2013 in West Lafayette)
Last Meeting in Lincoln: Purdue 2, Nebraska 1 - OT (2012)
All-Time vs. Iowa: Tied 6-6-3
All-Time in Iowa City: Iowa leads 4-3-1
Last Meeting: Iowa 2, Purdue 0 (2013 in Iowa City)
Last Purdue Win: #23 Purdue 3, Iowa 2 - OT (2009 in West Lafayette)
Purdue's Last Win in Iowa City: Purdue 2, Iowa 1 (2008)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue women's soccer's final regular-season road trip features the Boilermakers traveling west to take on Nebraska and Iowa, and visiting Iowa City for the third year in a row.
Kickoff Friday at the Nebraska Soccer Field in the shadows of Memorial Stadium is set for 5 p.m. ET. Sunday's game at the Iowa Soccer Complex is slated for 2 p.m. ET.
The road team has won each of the three Purdue-Nebraska games since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. Alex Hairston and Taylor Niewoit scored in the Boilers' overtime victory in Lincoln in 2012, which at the time was the program's first OT win on the road since November 2009. Niewoit was the hero that day when she headed in a corner kick in the 101st minute for the golden goal. She suffered a season-ending injury in August this year, but remains the only player in program history to score an overtime game-winner and assist on another (Jordan Pawlik at Miami, 2013).
Friday's game in Lincoln sets up as a must win for both sides if they're to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue (6-8-1, 2-7 Big Ten) entered the week six points behind Maryland (3-2-3 Big Ten) and Illinois (4-4 Big Ten), which are tied for seventh. But both teams hold potential tiebreakers against the Boilers. Nebraska (5-7-2, 1-5-2 Big Ten) is in 12th place, one point behind Purdue. The Huskers are in danger of going from winning the regular-season and tournament titles in 2013 to missing the conference tournament a year later.
Purdue head coach Robert Klatte said his team needed all six points this weekend. And even with only two games remaining following the road trip, a loss this weekend is unlikely to eliminate the Boilers from tournament contention.
Purdue's final regular-season road game was also at Iowa in 2006, 2010 and 2013. Iowa City represents the first Big Ten town that the Boilers have visited three years in a row since going to Ann Arbor (2005-07) and University Park (2004-07) at least three years running during a span in which those cities hosted the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa joins a list of seven opponents that Purdue has played in the same location at least three times in a row. The last time it happened on the road against a Big Ten rival was Ohio State (2004-05) when Columbus served as the host of the 2004 conference tournament and the Boilers matched up against OSU in the first round.
Nebraska has lost each of its last three games in 3-1 fashion, all on the road, but actually scored first in the losses at Michigan and Minnesota. The Huskers' last home game was a wild 4-3 overtime victory against Maryland on Sept. 28. Nebraska is one of only two Big Ten teams that has scored against Rutgers this year, which jumped to No. 14 in the NSCAA Top 25 poll this week after its big road win at No. 6 Penn State Saturday.
Iowa is led by first-year head coach Dave DiIanni, who was hired in the spring after winning three Division II national titles at Grand Valley State (Mich.), where his teams only lost 18 games in 11 years. Ron Rainey led the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Tournament championship game and their first NCAA Tournament appearance last year, but opted to take the head coaching job at Dartmouth.
Iowa got off to a great start at 8-1, but is just 1-3-1 in its last five games entering the week. The Hawkeyes host Indiana Friday. Iowa outscored its opponents 20-4 during its hot start, but has been shut out three times in its last five. The Hawkeyes scored multiple goals at Oct. 5 at Michigan for the first time since their conference-opening win vs. Illinois, but also surrendered a season-high four scores that day in Ann Arbor.
Jaycie Johnson (9 goals) and Mayme Conroy (6) have combined for 15 of Nebraska's 23 goals. Together, Cloe Lacasse (7) and Melaine Pickert (6) have accounted for 13 of Iowa's 23 goals.
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