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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Purdue women's soccer trailed for much of the day after conceding an early goal on a semi-breakaway, losing to undefeated Northwestern 2-0 Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers' six-game win streak in Evanston was snapped after suffering their first loss along Lake Michigan since 2004. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (9-0, 2-0 B1G) extended their program-record shutout streak to 627 consecutive minutes.
Brenna Lovera scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 11th minute when she broke free up the right flank, remaining on side as she moved into a 1-v-1 scoring opportunity against goalkeeper Erika Yohn. Lovera scored with a diagonal ground shot inside the left (far) post.
Purdue (3-5, 1-1 B1G) kept it a 1-0 game until the 49th minute when bad luck led to an inadvertent hand ball inside the 18-yard box. Vanessa Korolas was whistled for the violation after the ball took a healthy carom off the artificial surface at Martin Stadium, making contact with Korolas' hand as she tried to rotate her body in position to clear the ball. Nandi Mehta was selected to take the penalty kick and scored with a shot inside the left post.
Yohn was credited with nine saves, matching her career high from earlier this month in the loss at No. 4 West Virginia. The nine saves remains the most by a Purdue goalkeeper since 2012.
Highlights from @PurdueSoccer's 2-0 loss at Northwestern in a game televised live by the BTN. https://t.co/MjOKv7CghS
-- Purdue Video 🎥 (@purduevideo) September 18, 2016
The Boilermakers actually had the first scoring chance of both halves, but were ultimately unable to sustain possession for extended periods of time. After running past an NU defender that went down along the left flank, Hannah Leinert forced goalkeeper Lauren Clem to make a diving save to her left with a shot from about 20 yards out in the fourth minute. In the opening minute of the second half, Hannah Mussallem connected a dangerous right-to-left cross to Korolas inside the 18-yard box, but the header sailed wide.
Leinert had the Wildcats' defense on its heels again in the 81st minute when she stole the ball from a defender on the left flank and dribbled into the final third, playing a diagonal lead pass to Hannah Mussallem on the right flank. As she went to shoot, Mussallem was tripped by the NU defender crashing the play, snuffing out the scoring chance.
Lydia Brosnahan, Megan Kaser, Vanessa Korolas and Gabby LaMere went the distance among the Purdue field players. Dagny Olson started the second half and logged 65 minutes to lead the reserves.
Northwestern has surrendered just one goal in its first nine games this year and remains the Big Ten's only unbeaten side. After seeing its 11-game win streak vs. NU snapped in a 1-0 loss last year, the Boilermakers have now suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of the Wildcats for the first time since 2003 and 2004. Purdue had never been shut out before in its eight previous trips to Evanston.
The Boilermakers return to action Friday when they host Wisconsin at 7 p.m. A special Folk Field dedication ceremony commemorating the new name of Purdue's home pitch will be held at 6:45 p.m.