WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 18-ranked Purdue soccer team returns to Folk Field for its second-to-last game of the regular season on Thursday, October 21, at 8 p.m. ET, against Northwestern in a matchup broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
Admission is free for all fans to every regular-season home match in 2021. The Boilermaker Band, cheer squad and Purdue Pete all will be in attendance on Thursday, and fans are encouraged to help Fill Folk Field for the nationally-televised contest.
University, local and state health guidelines will be followed on game day. Updates will be provided by Purdue Athletics, if necessary. A clear bag policy will be implemented for all events in Purdue Athletics facilities this year, and information can be found at PurdueSports.com/ClearBag.
The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and on the Fox Sports app, and live stats are available at Purdue.Statbroadcast.com. Updates also can be found by following @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
Purdue is 11-3-2 overall and 6-2-0 in the Big Ten, both its best marks since 2007. The team has 11 wins for the first time since a 12-win campaign in 2009, and the six Big Ten wins is the program's most since it won eight in 2007. The Boilermakers are second in the conference standings with 18 points, four ahead of the third-place team with two games to play. The squad is coming off a 2-1 loss at Penn State on Sunday, which snapped a three-match win streak, as they entered the game having won nine of their last 10.
Seventeen players have earned at least a point and 15 have at least one assist, both tied for the most in the Big Ten. Ten Boilermakers have scored a goal, tied for fifth-most in the conference. Purdue boasts a 30-16 advantage in goal differential, including 20-8 in the second half and 2-0 in overtime.
The Boilermakers lead the Big Ten with 5.50 saves per game, and they are second in assists (30), points (90) and save percentage (.846) and third in goals (30).
Individually, senior forward Sarah Griffith is No. 4 nationally with 13 goals, No. 9 with 2.40 shots on goal per game, No. 11 with 4.53 shots per game, No. 14 with 27 points and No. 15 with four game-winning goals. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova is 18th in the NCAA with 1476:23 minutes played and 21st with 85 saves. She also is second in the Big Ten with a .842 save percentage.
Additionally, sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews is second on the team with five goals and 13 points, and freshman forward Gracie Dunaway has a team-best six assists, which is sixth-best in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats come to West Lafayette with a 7-7-1 record and a 3-4-1 mark in the Big Ten. NU is in 10th in the conference standings with 10 points.
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Purdue moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Boilermakers are ranked nationally for the third consecutive week, and it is their highest ranking since 2009, which also was the last year the team was ranked before two weeks ago. Purdue debuted at No. 25 on October 5 and was No. 19 last week. The Old Gold and Black also remain at No. 2 in the North Region ranking, and they are No. 27 in the latest NCAA RPI. Purdue is No. 27 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll.
RECORD WATCHING
In her career, Bova's 0.92 goals-against average is second-best all-time, she is third with 17 shutouts and fourth with 25 wins, a .802 save percentage and 4,906.36 minutes. She is fifth in school history in saves (202) and starts (52).
In a single season, Bova is fourth with a .842 save percentage, tied for No. 6 with 11 wins, No. 8 with a 0.98 goals-against average and 85 saves. Her 11 victories is the most by a Boilermaker goalkeeper since 2009.
Griffith's 23 career goals and nine game-winning goals are sixth-most all-time and her 53 points is ninth. In 2021, she has 13 goals, tied for second in school history, while her four game-winning goals is tied for fourth and her 27 points is tied for sixth.
She has scored in seven consecutive matches, the longest goal streak in program history, with eight goals in that stretch. Griffith has at least one point in all eight Big Ten games, also the team record point streak. Meanwhile, senior midfielder Teagan Jones has a three-game assist streak, one shy of tying the school record.
Additionally, Griffith is a three-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honoree this year, tied for fourth-most by a single player in conference history.
Dunaway's six assists is tied for No. 2 in the school record books by a freshman and one shy of a spot in Purdue's all-time top-10 list for assists in a season.
LAST TIME OUT: 2-1 LOSS AT PENN STATE
In its final regular-season road game, Purdue lost at Penn State, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in State College, Pennsylvania. Griffith provided the scoring with a 58th-minute goal to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead, but the home side answered with the equalizer in the 62nd minute and the go-ahead score in the 78th minute. Griffith's goal came from Jones and Mathews.
The Boilermakers out-shot the Nittany Lions 13-12, though PSU had a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Purdue had one corner kick and Penn State had two, all coming in the second half. Griffith had eight shots and four shots on goal, both game-high totals. Mathews had two shots. Bova and her Nittany Lion counterpart each made four saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
Purdue is 16-7-1 all-time against Northwestern after a 1-0 home win and a 1-0 neutral-site loss last season. The Boilermakers are 9-2-0 in the series in West Lafayette. As a ranked team, Purdue boasts a 6-1-0 mark against NU.
Last season at home, the Old Gold and Black won a 1-0 contest on March 13. Griffith scored the lone goal in the 74th minute, while Bova made two saves. Northwestern had an 8-7 advantage in shots, though Purdue held a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. At the Big Ten Regional Weekend on April 8, the Wildcats won 1-0 in Madison, Wisconsin, as a penalty kick goal in the 67th minute was the difference. Griffith paced the squad with five shots as the Boilermakers had 13 shots to the Wildcats' six, with shots on target 5-3 in favor of Purdue. Bova had two saves.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern is 7-7-1 on the season, 3-4-1 in Big Ten action and 3-5-1 on the road. The Wildcats have lost three in a row, a streak that came after a four-game unbeaten string. NU is 1-1 against top-25 opponents, both on the road, with a 2-0 loss at No. 2 North Carolina and a 2-1 victory at No. 12 Penn State.
The Wildcats are third in the Big Ten in shot accuracy (.504) and sixth in saves per game (4.27). Josie Aulicino leads the league with four game-winning goals and she is second with seven assists.
UP NEXT: NATIONALLY-TELEVISED RETURN HOME
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Boilermakers host Northwestern on Thursday, October 21, at 8 p.m. ET. The contest will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network. Admission is free for all fans to every regular-season home match in 2021.
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.
Admission is free for all fans to every regular-season home match in 2021. The Boilermaker Band, cheer squad and Purdue Pete all will be in attendance on Thursday, and fans are encouraged to help Fill Folk Field for the nationally-televised contest.
University, local and state health guidelines will be followed on game day. Updates will be provided by Purdue Athletics, if necessary. A clear bag policy will be implemented for all events in Purdue Athletics facilities this year, and information can be found at PurdueSports.com/ClearBag.
The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and on the Fox Sports app, and live stats are available at Purdue.Statbroadcast.com. Updates also can be found by following @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
Purdue is 11-3-2 overall and 6-2-0 in the Big Ten, both its best marks since 2007. The team has 11 wins for the first time since a 12-win campaign in 2009, and the six Big Ten wins is the program's most since it won eight in 2007. The Boilermakers are second in the conference standings with 18 points, four ahead of the third-place team with two games to play. The squad is coming off a 2-1 loss at Penn State on Sunday, which snapped a three-match win streak, as they entered the game having won nine of their last 10.
Seventeen players have earned at least a point and 15 have at least one assist, both tied for the most in the Big Ten. Ten Boilermakers have scored a goal, tied for fifth-most in the conference. Purdue boasts a 30-16 advantage in goal differential, including 20-8 in the second half and 2-0 in overtime.
The Boilermakers lead the Big Ten with 5.50 saves per game, and they are second in assists (30), points (90) and save percentage (.846) and third in goals (30).
Individually, senior forward Sarah Griffith is No. 4 nationally with 13 goals, No. 9 with 2.40 shots on goal per game, No. 11 with 4.53 shots per game, No. 14 with 27 points and No. 15 with four game-winning goals. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova is 18th in the NCAA with 1476:23 minutes played and 21st with 85 saves. She also is second in the Big Ten with a .842 save percentage.
Additionally, sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews is second on the team with five goals and 13 points, and freshman forward Gracie Dunaway has a team-best six assists, which is sixth-best in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats come to West Lafayette with a 7-7-1 record and a 3-4-1 mark in the Big Ten. NU is in 10th in the conference standings with 10 points.
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Purdue moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Boilermakers are ranked nationally for the third consecutive week, and it is their highest ranking since 2009, which also was the last year the team was ranked before two weeks ago. Purdue debuted at No. 25 on October 5 and was No. 19 last week. The Old Gold and Black also remain at No. 2 in the North Region ranking, and they are No. 27 in the latest NCAA RPI. Purdue is No. 27 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll.
RECORD WATCHING
In her career, Bova's 0.92 goals-against average is second-best all-time, she is third with 17 shutouts and fourth with 25 wins, a .802 save percentage and 4,906.36 minutes. She is fifth in school history in saves (202) and starts (52).
In a single season, Bova is fourth with a .842 save percentage, tied for No. 6 with 11 wins, No. 8 with a 0.98 goals-against average and 85 saves. Her 11 victories is the most by a Boilermaker goalkeeper since 2009.
Griffith's 23 career goals and nine game-winning goals are sixth-most all-time and her 53 points is ninth. In 2021, she has 13 goals, tied for second in school history, while her four game-winning goals is tied for fourth and her 27 points is tied for sixth.
She has scored in seven consecutive matches, the longest goal streak in program history, with eight goals in that stretch. Griffith has at least one point in all eight Big Ten games, also the team record point streak. Meanwhile, senior midfielder Teagan Jones has a three-game assist streak, one shy of tying the school record.
Additionally, Griffith is a three-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honoree this year, tied for fourth-most by a single player in conference history.
Dunaway's six assists is tied for No. 2 in the school record books by a freshman and one shy of a spot in Purdue's all-time top-10 list for assists in a season.
LAST TIME OUT: 2-1 LOSS AT PENN STATE
In its final regular-season road game, Purdue lost at Penn State, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in State College, Pennsylvania. Griffith provided the scoring with a 58th-minute goal to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead, but the home side answered with the equalizer in the 62nd minute and the go-ahead score in the 78th minute. Griffith's goal came from Jones and Mathews.
The Boilermakers out-shot the Nittany Lions 13-12, though PSU had a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Purdue had one corner kick and Penn State had two, all coming in the second half. Griffith had eight shots and four shots on goal, both game-high totals. Mathews had two shots. Bova and her Nittany Lion counterpart each made four saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
Purdue is 16-7-1 all-time against Northwestern after a 1-0 home win and a 1-0 neutral-site loss last season. The Boilermakers are 9-2-0 in the series in West Lafayette. As a ranked team, Purdue boasts a 6-1-0 mark against NU.
Last season at home, the Old Gold and Black won a 1-0 contest on March 13. Griffith scored the lone goal in the 74th minute, while Bova made two saves. Northwestern had an 8-7 advantage in shots, though Purdue held a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. At the Big Ten Regional Weekend on April 8, the Wildcats won 1-0 in Madison, Wisconsin, as a penalty kick goal in the 67th minute was the difference. Griffith paced the squad with five shots as the Boilermakers had 13 shots to the Wildcats' six, with shots on target 5-3 in favor of Purdue. Bova had two saves.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern is 7-7-1 on the season, 3-4-1 in Big Ten action and 3-5-1 on the road. The Wildcats have lost three in a row, a streak that came after a four-game unbeaten string. NU is 1-1 against top-25 opponents, both on the road, with a 2-0 loss at No. 2 North Carolina and a 2-1 victory at No. 12 Penn State.
The Wildcats are third in the Big Ten in shot accuracy (.504) and sixth in saves per game (4.27). Josie Aulicino leads the league with four game-winning goals and she is second with seven assists.
UP NEXT: NATIONALLY-TELEVISED RETURN HOME
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Boilermakers host Northwestern on Thursday, October 21, at 8 p.m. ET. The contest will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network. Admission is free for all fans to every regular-season home match in 2021.
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.