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Series History
All-Time: Michigan leads 9-3-3
All-Time in West Lafayette: Tied 3-3-1
Last Meeting: #12 Michigan 3, Purdue 1 (2013 in Ann Arbor)
Last Meeting in West Lafayette: Michigan 3, Purdue 1 (2011)
Purdue's Last Win: #18 Purdue 1, Michigan 0 (2009 in West Lafayette)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue women's soccer hosts No. 25 Michigan for Saturday's senior night game, which doubles as the 2014 season finale for the Boilermakers.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex. Purdue will honor seniors Alex Hairston, Mollie Kuramoto, Taylor Niewoit, Soraya Toppin-Herbert as well as support staff members Luke Brzezinski (manager) and Sarah Hurdish (student trainer) at approximately 6:40 p.m.
The Wolverines (12-4-2, 8-2-2 Big Ten) are making their first regular-season visit to the Boilermaker Soccer Complex since the 2011 home finale. However, they'll be back again next week for the Big Ten Tournament, which will be contested in its entirety in West Lafayette. The Purdue-Michigan game is the final regular-season contest around the Big Ten this year and could determine the final tournament seeding. The Wolverines will be the No. 2 or 3 seed next week.
The Boilermakers (6-11-1, 2-10 Big Ten) did defeat U-M in an exhibition game in West Lafayette in April 2013. But Purdue's last regular-season victory against Michigan was in October 2009.
The Wolverines are the fifth nationally-ranked opponent the Boilers will face this season, the most since 2009. However, this will mark the first time Purdue has played five ranked Big Ten rivals in one year.
Kuramoto is the longest-tenured active member of the program, joining the Boilers in the fall of 2010. Hairston, Niewoit and Toppin-Herbert came into together as a class a year later. Nikki Hively was also part of that group, but redshirted in 2011 and has said she plans to use her fifth year of eligibility next season.
Led by four-year starters Hairston and Kuramoto, 2014's senior class has made a combined 175 starts and scored 29 goals. Hairston has been one of the most durable players in program history, never missing a game during her career while starting 75 of 76. Kuramoto has started every game the last two seasons after being sidelined in 2012 by a knee injury. Both players have logged over 5,000 minutes in their careers.
Niewoit was penciled in as a starter entering the year, but an Achilles tendon injury in the preseason has sidelined her. Three of her four goals in 2012 proved to be game-winners and she's the only player in program history to score an overtime golden goal (2012 at Nebraska) and assist on another (Jordan Pawlik, 2013 at Miami).
Toppin-Herbert has made the most of her senior season, highlighted by goals in the consecutive wins against Ball State and SIU Edwardsville over Labor Day Weekend. She has posted career-highs in games started and minutes played this year.
Hairston closed her college career this season by establishing a new Purdue all-time record for assists. She has setup goals for 10 different teammates and impacted 40 goals total (17 scored, 23 assisted). The West Coast native opened her career back in 2011 by scoring in her collegiate debut as well as the first night game in the history of the Boilermaker Soccer Complex (a 1-0 win vs. Colorado). Last year she set a program record with a point in eight consecutive games.
Kuramoto moved to defensive midfielder this year after Melissa Casella was sidelined by a back injury. She has teamed with Purdue's improved back line and three goalkeepers to help the team surrender 16 fewer goals than at this point last year. Head coach Robert Klatte has called the three-year team captain the Boilers' most valuable player.
Michigan made it all the way to the elite eight round of the NCAA Tournament last season before losing at Virginia. The Wolverines have gone 10-2-2 since getting shut out in both games of a San Diego-San Diego State road trip over Labor Day Weekend, outscoring their opponents during the strong run, 29-12. Both losses during that stretch were in 1-0 fashion.
Michigan's Ani Sarkisian leads the Big Ten with 12 assists and Nicky Waldeck is tied for second with 11 goals. Freshman goalkeeper Megan Hinz has played every minute of the last 14 games.
Maryland (14 points) lost at league champion Penn State Thursday evening and now will be scoreboard watching Friday as it hopes to hang on to the final Big Ten Tournament berth. A win for Ohio State (12 points, vs. Rutgers), Northwestern (12 points, vs. Minnesota) or Nebraska (11 points, vs. Iowa) Friday eliminates Maryland. However, draws will not help any of the three teams chasing the Terrapins. Ohio State controls its own destiny thanks to a tiebreaker vs. Northwestern (via a Sept. 28 head-to-head win). The only way for Nebraska to earn the final berth is for the Huskers to defeat Iowa, and have both Ohio State and Northwestern lose or tie. Nebraska holds a tiebreaker over Maryland thanks to an overtime win on Sept 28.
Iowa, Rutgers and Minnesota enter Halloween in a three-way tie for fourth place with 22 points each. Wisconsin can clinch the No. 2 seed with a win at Illinois. But a Badgers' loss or tie would open the door for Michigan to move up to No. 2 because U-M owns the potential tiebreaker. Illinois is locked into the No. 7 seed. The Big Ten Tournament begins Wednesday morning at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.