WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue soccer team's six-match win streak was snapped with a 2-1 loss to No. 17 Michigan on Thursday night at Folk Field.
The defeat is just the second of the season for the Boilermakers (8-2-2, 3-1-0 Big Ten) and the first in Big Ten play. Playing its second top-20 opponent of the season, Purdue remains off to its best start to a season since 2007 and is one of two teams with three wins and nine points to top the conference standings after four matches. The Wolverines (8-1-2, 2-0-1 Big Ten) extended their unbeaten streak to six and remains unbeaten on the road.
Thursday was Purdue's annual Hammer Down Cancer match, and the Boilermakers wore special uniforms that are being auctioned off until Friday at 5 p.m. ET. The auction can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer and https://boile.rs/HDC21Jerseys. The proceeds for the jersey auction, along with any donations received through the auction website, will go to the Purdue Center for Cancer Research.
All three goals were scored in the first half in a 10-minute span. Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute, but senior forward Sarah Griffith answered right back with a goal just 30 seconds later to even the score at 1-1. UM scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 32nd minute to regain a 2-1 advantage.
"Overall we could have done more, I think Michigan came out really sharp with the way they moved the ball, off the ball was really good, and it took us a while to grow into the game," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "We got down, responded nicely with the goal, but tonight was a bad combination of Michigan was really very good and I thought that we were a little bit off the pace ourselves. Playing a top-20 team, you need to be at your best. Unfortunately, I felt like we were a little bit short of that tonight."
Griffith's goal is her Big Ten-leading eighth of the season, and she has scored in three consecutive matches. The Naperville, Illinois, native has 18 career goals, ninth-most in program history.
Senior midfielder Grace Walsh assisted on Griffith's score, her second of the season and third of her career.
Purdue was out-shot 20-6, and Michigan had a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova made five saves, and UM's keeper stopped two shots. Griffith and sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews each had two shots, and Griffith had two of the Boilermakers' shots on goal.
"Things we could have done better collectively, a team like that is going to make you pay for mistakes." Roff added. "That's one thing that separates some top-20 teams from teams that aren't in the top 20 is you make an error, and they make you pay, and that's what happened with those two goals. The rest of the night we're kind of chasing the game a little bit, you're down 2-1 against a team like that, we keep the ball and we worked really hard to try to win it back, and then try to get forward with it, and I think that was just a little bit too much of a hill to climb for us unfortunately. So, I'm disappointed, not disappointed in our effort, but disappointed with our sharpness and our ability to keep the ball a little bit better."
Michigan took a 1-0 lead at 21:56, as Danielle Wolfe scored from the near corner of the six-yard box.
Griffith's equalizer came just 30 seconds later, at 22:26. The play began with Walsh on the run, who then sent a centering pass from 25 yards out to Griffith just inside the penalty box. On her second touch, Griffith sent a left-footed strike into the lower-right corner of the goal from the penalty spot to beat a diving Michigan keeper.
The Wolverines took the lead back at 31:16, as Sammi Woods scored from 15 yards away on a pass from Meredith Haakenson.
In the first half, Purdue had a great chance just two minutes in, but a shot by Griffith from near the end line was saved. Bova made three saves, including a great stop in the 13th minute, before Michigan took its 1-0 lead.
Following Griffith's equalizer, Bova made her fourth save in the 24th minute. UM's goal in the 32nd minute was the last shot on goal of the half.
Freshman forward Gracie Dunaway had a shot saved in the 53rd minute, and Bova had a stop in the 59th for the only two shots on target for either team. Purdue had more offensive opportunities in the second half, but the home side could not connect in the final third for a chance to level the match.
Up next, the weekend continues with another top-20 opponent, as Purdue faces No. 18 Wisconsin on the road. Kickoff in Madison is set for 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The defeat is just the second of the season for the Boilermakers (8-2-2, 3-1-0 Big Ten) and the first in Big Ten play. Playing its second top-20 opponent of the season, Purdue remains off to its best start to a season since 2007 and is one of two teams with three wins and nine points to top the conference standings after four matches. The Wolverines (8-1-2, 2-0-1 Big Ten) extended their unbeaten streak to six and remains unbeaten on the road.
Thursday was Purdue's annual Hammer Down Cancer match, and the Boilermakers wore special uniforms that are being auctioned off until Friday at 5 p.m. ET. The auction can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer and https://boile.rs/HDC21Jerseys. The proceeds for the jersey auction, along with any donations received through the auction website, will go to the Purdue Center for Cancer Research.
All three goals were scored in the first half in a 10-minute span. Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute, but senior forward Sarah Griffith answered right back with a goal just 30 seconds later to even the score at 1-1. UM scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 32nd minute to regain a 2-1 advantage.
"Overall we could have done more, I think Michigan came out really sharp with the way they moved the ball, off the ball was really good, and it took us a while to grow into the game," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "We got down, responded nicely with the goal, but tonight was a bad combination of Michigan was really very good and I thought that we were a little bit off the pace ourselves. Playing a top-20 team, you need to be at your best. Unfortunately, I felt like we were a little bit short of that tonight."
Griffith's goal is her Big Ten-leading eighth of the season, and she has scored in three consecutive matches. The Naperville, Illinois, native has 18 career goals, ninth-most in program history.
Senior midfielder Grace Walsh assisted on Griffith's score, her second of the season and third of her career.
Purdue was out-shot 20-6, and Michigan had a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova made five saves, and UM's keeper stopped two shots. Griffith and sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews each had two shots, and Griffith had two of the Boilermakers' shots on goal.
"Things we could have done better collectively, a team like that is going to make you pay for mistakes." Roff added. "That's one thing that separates some top-20 teams from teams that aren't in the top 20 is you make an error, and they make you pay, and that's what happened with those two goals. The rest of the night we're kind of chasing the game a little bit, you're down 2-1 against a team like that, we keep the ball and we worked really hard to try to win it back, and then try to get forward with it, and I think that was just a little bit too much of a hill to climb for us unfortunately. So, I'm disappointed, not disappointed in our effort, but disappointed with our sharpness and our ability to keep the ball a little bit better."
Michigan took a 1-0 lead at 21:56, as Danielle Wolfe scored from the near corner of the six-yard box.
Griffith's equalizer came just 30 seconds later, at 22:26. The play began with Walsh on the run, who then sent a centering pass from 25 yards out to Griffith just inside the penalty box. On her second touch, Griffith sent a left-footed strike into the lower-right corner of the goal from the penalty spot to beat a diving Michigan keeper.
Sarah Griffith's 8th of the season, on a beautiful pass from Grace Walsh!#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/cWrDmVgu5t
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) October 1, 2021
The Wolverines took the lead back at 31:16, as Sammi Woods scored from 15 yards away on a pass from Meredith Haakenson.
In the first half, Purdue had a great chance just two minutes in, but a shot by Griffith from near the end line was saved. Bova made three saves, including a great stop in the 13th minute, before Michigan took its 1-0 lead.
Following Griffith's equalizer, Bova made her fourth save in the 24th minute. UM's goal in the 32nd minute was the last shot on goal of the half.
Freshman forward Gracie Dunaway had a shot saved in the 53rd minute, and Bova had a stop in the 59th for the only two shots on target for either team. Purdue had more offensive opportunities in the second half, but the home side could not connect in the final third for a chance to level the match.
Up next, the weekend continues with another top-20 opponent, as Purdue faces No. 18 Wisconsin on the road. Kickoff in Madison is set for 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.