Live Video: Friday / Sunday /// Game Notes / Gameday Central
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (4-1) at Louisville (5-1)
Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN3, WatchESPN
Lynn Stadium / Louisville, Kentucky
All-Time Series: U of L leads 2-0-1 / All-Time in Louisville: U of L leads 1-0-1
Last Meeting: Louisville 4, Purdue 3 -- OT (2012 in Louisville)
Purdue at Cincinnati (4-0-1)
Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. ET
Gettler Stadium / Cincinnati, Ohio
All-Time Series: Purdue leads 2-0-1 / All-Time in Cincinnati: Tied 0-0-1
Last Meeting: Purdue 2, Cincinnati 1 -- OT (2016 in West Lafayette)
Last Meeting in Cincinnati: Purdue 0, Cincinnati 0 (2006)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue women's soccer closes out its non-conference schedule with the opening weekend of its five-game road stretch, visiting Louisville and Cincinnati for games against a pair of quality sides.
Kickoff Friday at Lynn Stadium in the Commonwealth of Kentucky's largest city is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be available live on ESPN3/WatchESPN via ACC Network Extra. The Boilermakers visit the Queen City for Sunday's 1 p.m. matinee. GoBearcats.com will be offering a free video webcast of the game.
Purdue has won at least four of its first five games for the second time in three years under head coach Drew Roff and seventh time overall in program history. Roff scheduled the Louisville-Cincinnati trip with the hope it would serve as a Big Ten preview. The Cardinals and Bearcats entered the week a combined 9-1-1 and both sides have a win vs. a Big Ten opponent. The Boilermakers open league play next week with a Michigan-Michigan State road trip.
THIRTEENS ARE WILD FOR NOW
- Purdue hits the road this week riding a shutout streak of 272 consecutive minutes after posting clean sheets in each of its last three victories. That ranks as the 13th-longest shutout streak in program history and sixth longest since the start of the record-setting 2007 campaign. If Purdue can keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard, the streak would move into fifth place in the team record book.
- Meanwhile, the Boilermakers' 13 goals are their most through five games since 2013 (18) and just two fewer than they had all of last season. The increased scoring has allowed Purdue to already match its win total from 2016. The Boilermakers have scored in seven consecutive regular-season games dating back to the final two matches of last year. Despite last season's struggles away from Folk Field (1-7), the preseason win at No. 18 Notre Dame last month has the team feeling confident it will also be able produce results on the road.
BENCHMARKS AND MILESTONES AHEAD
- Seniors Vanessa Korolas and Maddy Williams are slated to make their 60th career starts Friday. Korolas has still never missed a game during her career, making Friday her 60th consecutive start. Williams needs just one assist to tie Alex Hairston's program record (23). With three goals and four assists this season, Williams has now had a direct impact on 49 scores in her career. Only three other Boilermakers have reached 50 in that category.
- Korolas and Williams are the only active Boilermakers to score a goal away from Folk Field. Purdue will need that to change over the next three weeks to have a successful showing during its extended road stretch.
QUOTING COACH ROFF
- "The business-like approach, the consistency, the composure that our team shows in general is what you're looking for. It has been a real steady performance throughout. If you can shut teams down, then in soccer you obviously have a great opportunity to be successful. As the team has come together pretty quickly, to see so many young players play with so much composure and play with so much savvy has been fantastic to watch."
QUICK LOOK AT LOUISVILLE
- The Cardinals 5-1 start has been highlighted by road wins at Indiana and Kentucky. They also posted an exhibition win against common opponent DePaul. Their lone loss came at the hands of Marquette, which scored on a penalty kick and on a goal from 40 yards out to win 2-0 on Louisville's home pitch.
- Freshman Emina Ekic leads the way with four goals, scoring twice in the Kentucky victory. Senior Alison Price, who has started every game of her career, has accounted for the game-winning goal with both of her scores so far in 2017. They're two of six Cardinals that has at least one goal and one assist early this season. Norway native Inger Katrine Bjerke is a four-year starting center back that has also started every game since 2014. Gabby Kouzelos has taken over as the starting goalkeeper after redshirting as a true freshman a year ago.
QUICK LOOK AT CINCINNATI
- Purdue rallied to defeat the Bearcats in overtime last year at Folk Field on a golden goal from Mikayla Lasky. Cincinnati went on to enjoy a solid 11-win campaign, highlighted by a 6-1-2 mark at home. This year, the Bearcats won a preseason game at Indiana and then went 3-0-1 on a season-opening four-game homestand. Julie Gavorski scored twice in the second half Sunday in Evanston as UC rallied to snap Northwestern's 16-game home unbeaten streak at Martin Stadium, which dated back to October 2014. Cincinnati plays at Northern Kentucky on Thursday.
- Vanessa Gilles, who scored last year at Folk Field, and Gavorski share the team lead with three goals apiece. But the Bearcats have been most successful at limiting scoring opportunities for the opposition, surrendering just 12 shots on goal and five corner kicks through their first five games. Freshman goalkeeper Jane Sensibaugh, Sam Slagle's former high school teammate, has taken over as the starter for the last three games. The Bearcats spread the minutes around. Defenders Kiki Lowell (403) and Gilles (470) are the only UC players that have logged at least 375 minutes (of the 470).