PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Purdue women's soccer found itself facing a big deficit early after conceding three goals in a span of 18 minutes in the first half and ended up losing at No. 25 Rutgers, 4-0, Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers (6-7-1, 2-6 Big Ten) gave up four goals for the first time since an October 2013 loss at Michigan State. Purdue had not surrendered three first-half scores since a September 2013 loss at Penn State. Entering the day, the Boilers had conceded only six first-half goals in their 13 games this year. Since winning in overtime at Northwestern on Sept. 19, Purdue has been outscored 11-1 during a five-game losing streak.
Goalkeepers Erika Yohn (six) and Jordan Ginther (three) teamed up to make nine saves, a team season-high total. Yohn took over after the halftime break, but Ginther was certainly not solely to blame for the 3-0 halftime deficit.
The wind was factor on a cloudless day in New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights (9-1-1, 5-1-1 Big Ten) had the wind at their backs in the first half when they opened up the big lead. Purdue was also held without a corner kick opportunity until the 56th minute when it finally did have the wind at its back. The team attacking the west goal (going into the wind) did not have a corner kick in those 45 minutes.
Rutgers posted its eighth shutout of the season in 11 games and improved to 7-0 at home this season. However, the Scarlet Knights had not scored more than one goal in a game since winning 5-0 at Princeton Sept. 5.
Rutgers' Amanda DeVolk came off the bench for the first time this season as her team made a change in its starting lineup for the first time in 2014. DeVolk still logged 40 minutes off the bench and managed to score in the 27th and 80th minutes, her first two goals of the season.
Stefanie Scholz and Hayley Katkowski both had a goal and an assist. Scholz and DeVolk scored on chip shots over the top of Ginther in the 16th and 27th minutes, respectively. Scholz's shot found its way from the left side of the 18-yard box into the bottom right corner of the net. DeVolk scored from the right flank into the top half of the net.
Katkowski finished off a corner kick sequence in the 34th minute that featured Tori Praager heading the ball toward the net from the top of the 18-yard box. Katkowski flicked it past Ginther for her first goal of the season.
DeVolk had an easy tap-in near the right post in the 80th minute after Jessie Sexton's initial shot from the left flank had beaten Yohn.
Yohn made the best save of the day in the 73rd minute when she made a diving stop to her left on a shot with pace off the foot of Amy Pietrangelo from the left flank.
Mikayla Lasky and Kim Love were the only Boilers to go the distance Sunday. Christa Szalach logged 53 minutes to lead the reserves. She replaced an injured Andrea Petrina in the 32nd minute and started the second half along with Soraya Toppin-Herbert and Yohn. Petrina did not return after suffering the leg injury Sunday and Purdue was also without an injured Erika Arkans, who had started the last nine games.
Sunday's game marked the fourth weekend in a row that the Boilers played a nationally-ranked opponent. Rutgers was ranked as high as 19th in the Soccer America Top 25.
Purdue returns to action Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Michigan State. It will be the Boilers' first Saturday home game since Labor Day Weekend of 2009.
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