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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Hannah Leinert scored the game winner in the 85th minute after also setting up Erika Arkans' first-half goal, leading the way in Purdue women's soccer's 2-1 win against Nebraska on Friday evening at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.
Purdue (7-5, 2-3 Big Ten) posted its first home win vs. Nebraska (5-4-2, 1-2-2 Big Ten) since 2005.
Both goalkeepers made a number of quality saves throughout the night, many of them coming on punch saves in which they deflected shots over the crossbar. Erika Yohn finished with a season-high seven saves and has now recorded 24 saves over the last four games.
Great win tonight over Nebraska. Here are a few of the highlights. #BoilerUp http://t.co/KbPD5beYu7
-- Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) October 3, 2015
Leinert's game-winning goal in the 85th minute was the Boilers' sixth goal of the season in the final 10 minutes of regulation, good for second most in program history. Maddy Williams extended Purdue's possession in the right side of the 18-yard box, eventually connecting a short pass to Leinert that put her position to score from 12 yards out on the right flank with a diagonal shot into the left side of the net.
It was Leinert's sixth goal of the season, tying her with Williams for the team lead, and the 33rd of her collegiate career. Purdue is 5-0 this season when Leinert has scored this year.
Arkans was in the starting lineup for the first time this season Friday. The move paid off when she scored her first goal of the year and sixth career in the 26th minute. Leinert credited Andrea Petrina for initially winning the ball with a slide tackle at midfield. The ball caromed to Leinert in front of the Nebraska bench and she immediately played a long diagonal through ball to Arkans on the left flank, effectively reversing the field and setting up the scoring chance for teammate. Arkans scored from 15 yards out with a diagonal shot into the right side of the net. It was the sophomore's first goal at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex since Aug. 31, 2014.
Cool temperatures in the 50s and 15-mph winds greeted the players when they took the pitch Friday. Purdue played with the wind at its back in the first half and took the 1-0 lead to the locker room. But the visitors had the wind at their back for the final 45 minutes and took advantage with an equalizer from Jaylyn Odermann in the 66th minute. She was able to run past a defender on the right side of the 18-yard box, creating the open lane for her shot into the left side of the net.
Goal scorers Erika Arkans & Hannah Leinert along with head coach Drew Roff discuss #Purdue's 2-1 win vs. Nebraska. http://t.co/I706Pbsord
-- Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) October 3, 2015
Nebraska had the edge in shots (17-9) for the night and generated 10 corner kicks, the latter total representing the most conceded by the Boilers this season.
Yohn's best saves came in the 15th, 28th, 45th and 59th minutes. The diving save to her right in the final seconds of the first half allowed Purdue to maintain its 1-0 lead going to the locker room. She deflected rising blasts over the crossbar in the 15th and 59th minutes. In the 28th minute, the sophomore's late dive to her left allowed her to push away a free ball trickling along the goal line after it had pinballed through the box via consecutive headers from Nebraska players.
Center back Kim Love accounted for a team save in the 76th minute when she headed away a ball bound for the top right corner of the net that originated as a header by Nebraska's Kristi King.
Huskers' goalkeeper Erika Johnson prevented goals by Williams and Leinert with her best saves of the night. A left-to-right cross from Arkans set up a good header chance for Williams in the 21st minute but Johnson was in position to make the point blank save. Leinert had the first quality scoring chance of the second half for either side in the 51st minute, but Johnson deflected the rising blast over the top of the crossbar.
Dannah Williams and Love went the distance among the Purdue field players. Dagny Olson logged 25 minutes to lead the reserves. She and Hannah Mussallem were the first Boilers to enter the game off the bench.
Purdue returns to action Thursday for a 7 p.m. road game at Ohio State that will be televised live by the Big Ten Network.
A fine evening for @PurdueSoccer. pic.twitter.com/phHDzEerAg
-- Prograrian (@prograrian) October 2, 2015