WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to four consecutive matches with a 1-0 shutout of Michigan State on Sunday afternoon at Folk Field as redshirt junior forward Sarah Griffith scored her fifth goal of the season.
The Boilermakers (4-3-1) have three wins during their four-match unbeaten streak, all via shutouts. Back on the pitch just three days after playing to a double-overtime draw on Thursday, Purdue had an 18-6 advantage in shots against the Spartans (1-5-1), who returned to competition after an eight-day break.
Griffith once again led the way with her fifth goal of the season and second match-winner. She has scored in three consecutive matches and in four of the last five and has a five-match point streak.
"I thought our team showed a lot of grit and a lot of toughness today, especially after playing a long match on Thursday night," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "I don't think it was our best day as far as connecting passes, being sharp with our movement off the ball and our composure on the ball. It wasn't at its highest level, but give Michigan State credit, they certainly got us out of our rhythm and caused us to have to change up our style a little bit. I give them credit for their effort today, but I thought it was a gritty performance. I'm proud that we found a way, and it's nice to continue an unbeaten streak and continue to get shutouts. It was a big performance in that way."
Purdue held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal and had five corner kicks to MSU's two to go along with its 18-6 edge in shots.
Junior goalkeeper Marisa Bova stopped all three shots she faced for her third clean sheet of the season. It is Bova's 14th career shutout, tied for third-most in program history.
Griffith led the team with seven shots and three shots on goal. Her score in the 67th minute was her fifth career match-winner. Freshman midfielder Emily Mathews added three shots and junior midfielder Aly Mielke recorded her first assist of the season and second of her career.
"We kept fighting despite nothing coming easy today," Roff added. "(Junior defender) Skylurr Patrick did really well pulling our back line together, Marisa Bova made some really big saves and (junior midfielder) Grace Walsh worked extremely hard in the middle of the park, covering a lot of ground. Up top, Sarah Griffith continues to be a very dangerous attacking threat. We want to be a little better with the ball and want to create a few more chances moving forward. It was a good result for us, and we'll definitely take it. Moving forward, there are some things we will continue to work on and continue to try and get better at. It was a good day overall and a hard-fought Big Ten win."
The Boilermakers took a 1-0 lead at 66:33. The play began with Mielke, who served a ball up to Griffith from just beyond the center circle. Griffith got the ball at the near corner of the penalty area, dribbled forward several yards, paused and turned to her right towards the goal. With two MSU defenders in front of her, she sent a looping shot towards the far corner into the top-right corner of the net to beat a leaping Spartan goalkeeper.
In the opening 45 minutes, Purdue had 12 shots, four on goal, while the defense held Michigan State to one shot, which Bova saved.
The Boilermakers applied pressure early and had two shots in the opening 3:12. Mathews and Griffith each had opportunities blocked in the fourth minute of action, and freshman forward Nicole Kevdzija had a shot that was saved in the 13th minute.
MSU's first opportunity, and lone shot of the half, came in the 19th minute. Off a corner kick, Bova made a big save on the ball into the six, and the defense cleared it to end the scoring chance for the visitors.
Purdue had nine shots in the next 10 minutes, with all three on goal saved. The first two saves came off shots by Griffith, with the last, at 30:24, off the foot of Walsh. The shot by Walsh was just tipped out to set up a corner kick, the third of four in the half for the Boilermakers. Sophomore defender Chloe Woodbeck had a shot off the free ball that was wide, which proved to be the final shot of the half for either side.
The second half saw Purdue hold a 6-5 edge in shots, and both teams had two shots on goal and one corner kick.
Bova made her first save less than three minutes into the frame following a free kick opportunity for the Spartans. Six minutes later MSU had another shot that was off target, and at 57:57 the visitors had their second and last corner of the match, which resulted in a shot wide.
Michigan State's opportunities early in the half culminated with another nice save by Bova in the 61st minute, six minutes before Griffith gave Purdue a 1-0 lead in the 67th minute.
Purdue continued to apply offensive pressure in the minutes following the goal, with four shots, none on goal, in the next eight minutes.
Mielke had a chance to make it 2-0 at 82:36, but her shot was saved. On a ball into the box by senior forward Hannah Melchiorre, Mielke shot it from the near side as she was falling down, but the Spartan keeper made her fifth and final save of the contest.
Up next, Purdue begins its final roadtrip of the regular season with a matchup at Minnesota on Thursday, March 25. Kickoff in Minneapolis is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Boilermakers (4-3-1) have three wins during their four-match unbeaten streak, all via shutouts. Back on the pitch just three days after playing to a double-overtime draw on Thursday, Purdue had an 18-6 advantage in shots against the Spartans (1-5-1), who returned to competition after an eight-day break.
Griffith once again led the way with her fifth goal of the season and second match-winner. She has scored in three consecutive matches and in four of the last five and has a five-match point streak.
"I thought our team showed a lot of grit and a lot of toughness today, especially after playing a long match on Thursday night," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "I don't think it was our best day as far as connecting passes, being sharp with our movement off the ball and our composure on the ball. It wasn't at its highest level, but give Michigan State credit, they certainly got us out of our rhythm and caused us to have to change up our style a little bit. I give them credit for their effort today, but I thought it was a gritty performance. I'm proud that we found a way, and it's nice to continue an unbeaten streak and continue to get shutouts. It was a big performance in that way."
Purdue held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal and had five corner kicks to MSU's two to go along with its 18-6 edge in shots.
Junior goalkeeper Marisa Bova stopped all three shots she faced for her third clean sheet of the season. It is Bova's 14th career shutout, tied for third-most in program history.
Griffith led the team with seven shots and three shots on goal. Her score in the 67th minute was her fifth career match-winner. Freshman midfielder Emily Mathews added three shots and junior midfielder Aly Mielke recorded her first assist of the season and second of her career.
"We kept fighting despite nothing coming easy today," Roff added. "(Junior defender) Skylurr Patrick did really well pulling our back line together, Marisa Bova made some really big saves and (junior midfielder) Grace Walsh worked extremely hard in the middle of the park, covering a lot of ground. Up top, Sarah Griffith continues to be a very dangerous attacking threat. We want to be a little better with the ball and want to create a few more chances moving forward. It was a good result for us, and we'll definitely take it. Moving forward, there are some things we will continue to work on and continue to try and get better at. It was a good day overall and a hard-fought Big Ten win."
The Boilermakers took a 1-0 lead at 66:33. The play began with Mielke, who served a ball up to Griffith from just beyond the center circle. Griffith got the ball at the near corner of the penalty area, dribbled forward several yards, paused and turned to her right towards the goal. With two MSU defenders in front of her, she sent a looping shot towards the far corner into the top-right corner of the net to beat a leaping Spartan goalkeeper.
When you're hot, it feels like anything goes in.
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) March 21, 2021
🔥 Three-match goal streak
🔥 Five-match point streak
🔥 Goals in four of the last five matches
🔥 Tied for the #B1GWSoc lead with 5 goals#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/23xjNEf9YJ
In the opening 45 minutes, Purdue had 12 shots, four on goal, while the defense held Michigan State to one shot, which Bova saved.
The Boilermakers applied pressure early and had two shots in the opening 3:12. Mathews and Griffith each had opportunities blocked in the fourth minute of action, and freshman forward Nicole Kevdzija had a shot that was saved in the 13th minute.
MSU's first opportunity, and lone shot of the half, came in the 19th minute. Off a corner kick, Bova made a big save on the ball into the six, and the defense cleared it to end the scoring chance for the visitors.
Purdue had nine shots in the next 10 minutes, with all three on goal saved. The first two saves came off shots by Griffith, with the last, at 30:24, off the foot of Walsh. The shot by Walsh was just tipped out to set up a corner kick, the third of four in the half for the Boilermakers. Sophomore defender Chloe Woodbeck had a shot off the free ball that was wide, which proved to be the final shot of the half for either side.
The second half saw Purdue hold a 6-5 edge in shots, and both teams had two shots on goal and one corner kick.
Bova made her first save less than three minutes into the frame following a free kick opportunity for the Spartans. Six minutes later MSU had another shot that was off target, and at 57:57 the visitors had their second and last corner of the match, which resulted in a shot wide.
Michigan State's opportunities early in the half culminated with another nice save by Bova in the 61st minute, six minutes before Griffith gave Purdue a 1-0 lead in the 67th minute.
Purdue continued to apply offensive pressure in the minutes following the goal, with four shots, none on goal, in the next eight minutes.
Mielke had a chance to make it 2-0 at 82:36, but her shot was saved. On a ball into the box by senior forward Hannah Melchiorre, Mielke shot it from the near side as she was falling down, but the Spartan keeper made her fifth and final save of the contest.
Up next, Purdue begins its final roadtrip of the regular season with a matchup at Minnesota on Thursday, March 25. Kickoff in Minneapolis is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.