WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Indiana goalkeeper Sarah Stone made nine saves and the Hoosiers scored the lone goal of the night early in the second half to defeat Purdue women's soccer, 1-0, Saturday evening at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.
The Boilermakers (6-11-1, 2-10 Big Ten) were shut out at home for the fourth straight game and sixth time in 2014. During Purdue's current nine-game losing streak, the team has been blanked seven times. Saturday's result was the Boilers' sixth 1-0 loss of the year. The nine total shutout losses this season have matched a program high from 1999.
Stone was the difference in the annual Indiana-Purdue rivalry game for the second year in a row. She made saves on all nine of the Boilers' shots on goal Saturday. Over the last two years, she has stopped 19 of the 20 shots put on frame by Purdue. Her save total this year represented the most by a Big Ten goalkeeper against the Boilers in 2014 and just one shy of the season high overall.
The Hoosiers' Veronica Ellis scored her second goal of the season in the 49th minute. She scored from the top of the 18-yard box with a shot that goalkeeper Maddy Olsen initially got her hand on near the crossbar. But the ball caromed under the bar into the left side of the net.
Purdue played its best after Indiana (6-11-1, 2-9-1 Big Ten) took the lead, posting a 10-3 advantage in shots and 9-2 edge in corner kicks in the second half. But Stone made five of her nine saves in the second half. Olsen made all four of her saves in the first half when the Hoosiers had a 9-6 advantage in the shot count.
The game's final two minutes featured three corner kick opportunities for the Boilermakers. Olsen even ran all the way to the south end of the field to be involved in the corner kick scrambles inside the 18-yard box.
Stone's best saves of the night came in the 11th, 44th and 79th minutes. Her leaping save on a shot by Alex Hairston from the top of the 18-yard box in the 79th minute was Stone's seventh save of the night. She would make two more on shots by Erika Arkans and Mollie Kuramoto in the final 10 minutes to close out the shutout.
Stone's second save of the night was a diving stop to her right in the 11th minute on a one-touch shot by Makaela Nellams from the heart of the 18-yard box after a left-to-right cross from Maddy Williams.
Nicole Robertson had a couple chances on headers after long crosses from the west sideline. The freshman nearly scored in the 44th minute when she got off a running header on Gianna Milaro's left-to-right cross. But Stone was in good position on the left side of the six-yard box to make the save and keep the game scoreless at the half.
Holly Gregory, Mikayla Lasky, Kim Love and Kuramoto went the distance among the Purdue field players. Soraya Toppin-Herbert logged 51 minutes to lead the reserves.
The Hoosiers maintained possession of the Golden Boot traveling trophy for the third straight year.
Purdue will close out its 2014 season Saturday, Nov. 1, with a 7 p.m. game against Michigan. The Boilermakers' seniors will be recognized prior to kickoff for their contributions to the program.
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