B1G Quarterfinal Set for Madison

Game Notes (PDF)

SUNDAY, NOV. 3
1 p.m. ET | BTN
No. 8 Purdue at No. 1 seeded/No.7 nationally ranked Wisconsin
McClimon Track / Soccer Complex
Tickets: $5 adults, $2 youth

PURDUE IN THE B1G TOURNAMENT

• The Boilermakers have earned bids in two of the last three seasons.
• The last time Purdue made the postseason, the seventh-seeded Boilermakers traveled to Evanston, Illinois, where they lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
• Entering its 11th Big Ten tournament appearance, Purdue won the 2007 Big Ten Tournament Championship and owns a record of 7-7-2 in Big Ten postseason action.
• The last time Purdue won a Big Ten Tournament match was Nov. 6, 2008 with a 2-1 advantage against Ohio State.
• Purdue and Wisconsin will meet for the third time in Big Ten Tournament history. 
• On each of the previous occasions, the Badgers edged out the Boilermakers with a 0-1-1 record, meeting Nov. 2, 2000 for a  2-2 draw that ended with Wisconsin advancing on PK's, 3-5.
• The teams last met in postseason action 14 years ago on Nov. 3, 2005 when the Boilermakers dropped a 3-0 match.

UNDERCLASSMEN SUCCESS

• Purdue is projected to start 10 underclassmen against Wisconsin, a season-high.
• Purdue averages 8.7 underclassmen starters per game (includes RS-So. Sarah Griffith).
• A young team, Purdue's back-line is composed of underclassmen with four sophomores (including goalkeeper) and one freshman.
• This season, over half of Purdue's goals were recorded by underclassmen, with 7 goals coming from sophomores.
• In conference play, redshirt-sophomore Sarah Griffith has placed 50% of her shots on goal, while owning a 58.8% efficiency on the year.

SCOUTING THE #1 SEEDED WISCONSIN BADGERS (14-2-2, 10-0-1 B1G)

• RPI Ranking: No. 8 | United Soccer Coaches Poll: No. 7
• Last time out: Oct. 6, 2019 in West Lafayette, Lost, 1-0
• In a very action-packed first half, only one goal was allowed, scored by Wisconsin's Jenna Kiraly in the 42nd minute. It would go on to be the eventual game-winner for Wisconsin in their 5th conference win in a row.
• Purdue's Leanna Rebimbas had a team high three shots.
• Wisconsin finished Big Ten play without losing a game.
• Dani Rhodes leads the Big Ten with 11 goals (seven game-winners) on the year.
• Wisconsin has been scored on nine times this  year. That's less than any other team in the Big Ten by two goals.

BOVA: IN THE NET

• At 6-2, Marisa Bova stands as one of the tallest Purdue goalkeepers in program history.
• Bova is the first Boilermaker keeper in 14 years to spend every minute in the net (since 2015).
• The sophomore owns eight shutouts this season, tied for second-most in the Big Ten and the most by a sophomore keeper in program history.
• Bova enters postseason play with the third-most shutouts among Boilermaker keepers in a season and the most since 2006.
• Her 0.86 goals against average ties for fifth in program history and is the best by a Boilermaker keeper in 11 years (since 2008).
• With 56 saves, Bova has produced the most by a keeper since 2013.
• Minding the net every minute this season at 1681:37 minutes, Bova checks in with the 10th-most by a Purdue keeper in a single season.
• The Hartland, Wisconsin, native ranks seventh with the fewest goals against in a single season (16).
• Bova owns seven wins, the most for a keeper in a single season since 2015.
• With a .775 save %, Bova cracks the top 10. Not only does she rank 10th in Purdue history, it is the best mark by a Purdue keeper since 2014.

IN COMPARISON

• Nine Boilermakers have found the back of the net this season, the most since 2015.
• Through its first six B1G matchups, Purdue held its opponents to just five goals, its best mark in 10 years.
• The Boilermakers' eight shutouts are the most since 2007. Purdue has earned eight or more shutouts in seven years throughout its history.
• Hannah Melchiorre is the second Boilermaker in four years to earn at least three game-winners in a season.

SHUTOUT CLOUT

• This is the first time since 2007 a Boilermaker squad has posted eight or more shutouts.
• Six of the team's eight shutouts came within the first nine games - the best mark since 2006 (7).
• Goalkeeper Marisa Bova earned all eight Purdue shutouts, tying for the second most in the B1G.
• Over the Big Ten-play opening weekend, Purdue was the only program in the conference to shutout both opponents.
• Purdue entered Week 6 as one of only 13 programs in the Power Five tallied at least six shutouts this season.

FRESHMEN ON THE FIELD

• Freshmen lead the way in Big Ten games, accounting for half of the Boilermaker goals scored since Sept. 8. Freshmen Leanna Rebimbas and Sydney Sparks scored the first two goals of Big Ten play.???????
• Rebimbas, a Caldwell, New Jersey, product, is second on the team in goals (3), while tying for the team lead in assists (3), points (9) and shots (27).
• Meanwhile, Sparks owns two goals this season despite playing the centerback position.
• Freshman Chole Woodbeck is sixth on the team in total minutes (1204) and is first on the team when excluding the back line and goalkeeper.

SPARKS ON THE FIELD

• Despite playing centerback, Sparks is fourth on the team with 17 shots, including eight on goal. 
• As a freshman, Sparks owns two goals this season, both of which were honored by ESPN outlets: SC Top-10, espnW and NCAA Soccer Play of the Week featured her center-field goal in the victory at DePaul (8/29), while espnW selected Sparks' game-winning header against No. 19 Iowa for its Top 10 Plays of the Week.
• Sparks is believed to be the second centerback in program history with 15 shots through the first nine games (Sylvia Forbes, 2009, 20 shots).
• Sparks has led the team in shots in five games, including three consecutive.