WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Postseason soccer returns to Folk Field as the No. 18 Purdue soccer team hosts Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal on Sunday, October 31, at 3 p.m. ET, in a nationally-televised contest on the Big Ten Network.
Tickets are on sale now, at PurdueSports.com/Soccer and https://boile.rs/B1GQTix21. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and students.
The John Purdue Club is hosting a Kick-or-Treat Tailgate, presented by Coors Light, outside Folk Field from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday. The pregame event is free and open to all fans and will include free snacks and refreshments and fun activities, including a costume contests for students and families. The Purdue Band and Purdue Pete also will be in attendance at the game.
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 BigTenStats.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. Additional information on the Big Ten Tournament is available at BigTen.org/WSOC.
Winners of five of its last six, with three shutouts in four games, Purdue is 13-3-2 overall and finished 8-2-0 in the Big Ten, both its best marks since 2007. The team has 13 wins for the first time since 2007 and the fifth time ever, and eight Big Ten wins ties the program record, set in 2007. The Boilermakers placed second in the Big Ten standings to tie their best regular-season finish, along with 2005 and 2007, and are the No. 2 seed in the eight-team conference tournament.
Seventeen players have earned at least a point and 16 have at least one assist, both second-most in the Big Ten. Ten Boilermakers have scored a goal, tied for fifth-most in the conference. Purdue boasts a 33-16 advantage in goal differential, including 22-8 in the second half and 2-0 in overtime.
The Boilermakers are second in the Big Ten with 103 points, 37 assists, a .856 save percentage and 5.28 saves per game, while they are third with 33 goals.
Individually, senior forward Sarah Griffith is No. 3 nationally 4.88 shots per game and 2.65 shots on goal per game, No. 4 with 14 goals, No. 13 with 30 points and No. 22 with four game-winning goals. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova is 25th in the NCAA with a .849 save percentage, and she leads the Big Ten with 90 saves and is third with 1656:23 minutes.
Additionally, sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews and freshman forward Gracie Dunaway have a team-high-tying seven assists, which is fourth in the Big Ten. Mathews also is second on the team with five goals and 17 points.
The Buckeyes enter the Tournament seeded seventh overall. They are 9-7-2 overall with a 4-4-2 mark in the Big Ten.
THE BOILERMAKERS IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
This is Purdue's 12 Big Ten Tournament appearance in program history and its third since 2017, which came after a nine-year hiatus. The Boilermakers are 8-8-2 all-time with a tournament title in 2007. Purdue is 3-2-1 against Ohio State, 7-4-1 in the quarterfinal and 3-1-0 as a No. 2 seed. Purdue won the 2007 championship as the second seed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with 3-0 wins over Northwestern and Illinois and a 3-1 triumph over OSU in the championships game. In 2005, the second-seeded Boilermakers lost a 3-0 quarterfinal matchup to Wisconsin.
In 2019, eighth-seeded Purdue upset top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Wisconsin, 1-0 in the quarterfinal in Madison. Current Boilermakers Ally Mussallem and Skylurr Patrick assisted on the game-winning goal in the 45th minute, and Bova made six saves to earn the shutout victory. In the quarterfinal, Purdue lost a 2-0 contest to Penn State in Piscataway, New Jersey, as Bova registered four saves.
West Lafayette is hosting a postseason game for the fourth time ever, along with the 2001 Big Ten Quarterfinal, the 2007 NCAA Tournament First and Second Round and the 2014 Big Ten Tournament, which the Boilermakers did not qualify for. Purdue is 1-1-1 all-time in home postseason games.
PURDUE EARNS ALL-BIG TEN AWARDS
Griffith was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year to highlight five Boilermakers who were named to All-Big Ten teams. She was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Mathews, while Bova and senior defender Skylurr Patrick were honored on the All-Big Ten Second Team and senior midfielder Grace Walsh collected All-Big Ten Third Team distinction. Additionally, senior midfielder Skylar Giacobetti was bestowed with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Purdue's five All-Big Ten Team honors are its second-most in the team's 24 seasons and comes after a total of four players were recognized between 2011 and 2020. Just the 2021 team and the 2007 squad, with six, have earned more than three All-Big Ten awards since the program's inaugural season in 1998.
Griffith is the second player in program history to be recognized as the league's Forward of the Year, along with Maddy Williams in 2017, and the fifth to ever earn a Big Ten Player of the Year accolade. Griffith and Mathews' first team awards are Purdue's first since 2017 and the first time since 2009 the team has had more than one. Bova is the third All-Big Ten goalkeeper in team history. Griffith, who was on the second team in 2020, and Walsh, on the third team a year ago, are two-time All-Big Ten Team honorees, the seventh and eighth in program history.
WEEKLY AWARDS
The Boilermakers have earned six Big Ten Player of the Week awards. Griffith is a three-time Offensive Player of the Week honoree this year, tied for fourth-most by a single player in conference history, as she was recognized on August 31, September 28 and October 5. Sophomore defender Nicole Kevdzija was the Defensive Player of the Week on August 31, with Griffith, Mathews earned offensive accolades on September 21 and Bova was the Goalkeeper of the Week on October 26. Additionally, Mathews was recognized on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week twice.
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Purdue is No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Boilermakers are ranked nationally for the fourth consecutive week, and it is their highest ranking since 2009, which also was the last year the team was ranked before three weeks ago. Purdue debuted at No. 25 on October 5, was No. 19 on October 12 and No. 18 last week. The Old Gold and Black also are at No. 3 in the North Region ranking, and they are No. 18 in the latest NCAA RPI. Purdue is No. 18 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll and No. 23 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings.
RECORD WATCHING
In her career, Bova's 0.890 goals-against average, .805 save percentage and 19 shutouts are all second-best all-time. She is fourth with 27 wins, 5,086.36 minutes and 54 starts and fifth in school history in with 207 saves.
In a single season, Bova is No. 3 with 90 saves and a .849 save percentage, No. 5 with 13 wins and tied for No. 6 with five shutouts and a 0.87 goals-against average. Her 13 victories is the most by a Boilermaker goalkeeper since 2007.
Griffith's 24 career goals and nine game-winning goals are sixth-most all-time and her 56 points is ninth. In 2021, she has 14 goals, tied for the school record, while her four game-winning goals and 30 points are tied for fourth.
She scored a goal in eight of 10 Big Ten games, had a point in all but one conference contest and notched a seven-game goal streak and an eight-game point streak, both school records. Meanwhile, senior midfielder Teagan Jones had a three-game assist streak, one game shy of tying the school record.
Mathews and Dunaway's seven assists are tied for No. 9 overall in a single season, and Dunaway is No. 2 in the school record books for assists by a freshman.
LAST TIME OUT: KEEPING THE BOOT, AGAIN
Purdue retained the Golden Boot Trophy for a seventh consecutive season with a 2-0 victory over rival Indiana on a rainy afternoon at Folk Field to conclude the regular season on October 24. Purdue improved to 16-4-6 all-time against IU with the win.
Mussallem and Griffith each had three points and Mathews two. Mussallem scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute and Griffith the insurance goal in the 80th, as they each assisted on the other's goal and Mathews had the primary helper on both. Meanwhile, Bova made two saves and another ball was cleared off the line to secure the clean sheet.
Griffith had a match-high six shots, four on goal, and Mathews had three shots. IU had 14 shots to Purdue's 13, but the defense allowed just three of the visitor's shots to go on target, while the home side delivered seven shots on goal. The Hoosier keeper made five saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score, highlights and postgame reaction from coach Drew Roff, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SERIES HISTORY VS. OHIO STATE
Purdue is 12-12-4 all-time against Ohio State, 4-7-2 in West Lafayette and 3-2-1 in the Big Ten Tournament. When the Boilermakers are ranked, they are 5-2-2 in the series, with all five wins and both ties coming against an unranked Buckeye side. Two weeks ago, on October 14 in Columbus, Purdue won a 1-0 overtime thriller in its first road game in the series since 2015. The Old Gold and Black have won the last three tournament games, including a 3-1 championship game victory in 2007 and a 2-1 quarterfinal win in 2008. The only time the two teams have met in the postseason in West Lafayette came in 2001, a 2-1 Purdue loss in overtime in the quarterfinal.
Two weeks ago, Griffith scored the fastest overtime goal in program history as Purdue beat Ohio State 1-0 in Columbus. The game-winner came at 90:34, as Griffith converted on a beautiful ball into the box by Jones. It was Purdue's fastest overtime goal and the fourth ever in the first minute of OT.
Bova made a career-best nine saves to earn her 17th career shutout. Senior midfielder Sydney Duarte had a team-best three shots, one on goal, and Griffith was held to one shot, which found the back of the net. Ohio State's goalkeeper made three saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score and highlights, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is 9-7-2 after a 4-4-2 Big Ten slate. OSU is 3-2-1 on the road and 3-5-0 against top-25 opponents. Following the 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 19 Purdue on October 14, the Buckeyes are unbeaten in their last three, with a 2-1 home win against No. 22 Michigan on October 17, a double-overtime scoreless draw at Wisconsin on October 20 and a 2-1 win at Northwestern on October 24.
The Buckeyes are fourth in the Big Ten with 15.89 shots per game and fifth with 30 assists.
UP NEXT: BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
The winner between second-seeded Purdue and seventh-seeded Ohio State will advance to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal on Thursday, November 4, at 4 p.m. ET, on the Big Ten Network. The opponent will be the winner between No. 3-seed Michigan and No. 6-seed Penn State, and the contest will be held at the highest-seeded remaining team in the eight-team tournament.
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.
Tickets are on sale now, at PurdueSports.com/Soccer and https://boile.rs/B1GQTix21. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and students.
The John Purdue Club is hosting a Kick-or-Treat Tailgate, presented by Coors Light, outside Folk Field from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday. The pregame event is free and open to all fans and will include free snacks and refreshments and fun activities, including a costume contests for students and families. The Purdue Band and Purdue Pete also will be in attendance at the game.
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 BigTenStats.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. Additional information on the Big Ten Tournament is available at BigTen.org/WSOC.
Winners of five of its last six, with three shutouts in four games, Purdue is 13-3-2 overall and finished 8-2-0 in the Big Ten, both its best marks since 2007. The team has 13 wins for the first time since 2007 and the fifth time ever, and eight Big Ten wins ties the program record, set in 2007. The Boilermakers placed second in the Big Ten standings to tie their best regular-season finish, along with 2005 and 2007, and are the No. 2 seed in the eight-team conference tournament.
Seventeen players have earned at least a point and 16 have at least one assist, both second-most in the Big Ten. Ten Boilermakers have scored a goal, tied for fifth-most in the conference. Purdue boasts a 33-16 advantage in goal differential, including 22-8 in the second half and 2-0 in overtime.
The Boilermakers are second in the Big Ten with 103 points, 37 assists, a .856 save percentage and 5.28 saves per game, while they are third with 33 goals.
Individually, senior forward Sarah Griffith is No. 3 nationally 4.88 shots per game and 2.65 shots on goal per game, No. 4 with 14 goals, No. 13 with 30 points and No. 22 with four game-winning goals. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova is 25th in the NCAA with a .849 save percentage, and she leads the Big Ten with 90 saves and is third with 1656:23 minutes.
Additionally, sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews and freshman forward Gracie Dunaway have a team-high-tying seven assists, which is fourth in the Big Ten. Mathews also is second on the team with five goals and 17 points.
The Buckeyes enter the Tournament seeded seventh overall. They are 9-7-2 overall with a 4-4-2 mark in the Big Ten.
THE BOILERMAKERS IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
This is Purdue's 12 Big Ten Tournament appearance in program history and its third since 2017, which came after a nine-year hiatus. The Boilermakers are 8-8-2 all-time with a tournament title in 2007. Purdue is 3-2-1 against Ohio State, 7-4-1 in the quarterfinal and 3-1-0 as a No. 2 seed. Purdue won the 2007 championship as the second seed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with 3-0 wins over Northwestern and Illinois and a 3-1 triumph over OSU in the championships game. In 2005, the second-seeded Boilermakers lost a 3-0 quarterfinal matchup to Wisconsin.
In 2019, eighth-seeded Purdue upset top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Wisconsin, 1-0 in the quarterfinal in Madison. Current Boilermakers Ally Mussallem and Skylurr Patrick assisted on the game-winning goal in the 45th minute, and Bova made six saves to earn the shutout victory. In the quarterfinal, Purdue lost a 2-0 contest to Penn State in Piscataway, New Jersey, as Bova registered four saves.
West Lafayette is hosting a postseason game for the fourth time ever, along with the 2001 Big Ten Quarterfinal, the 2007 NCAA Tournament First and Second Round and the 2014 Big Ten Tournament, which the Boilermakers did not qualify for. Purdue is 1-1-1 all-time in home postseason games.
PURDUE EARNS ALL-BIG TEN AWARDS
Griffith was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year to highlight five Boilermakers who were named to All-Big Ten teams. She was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Mathews, while Bova and senior defender Skylurr Patrick were honored on the All-Big Ten Second Team and senior midfielder Grace Walsh collected All-Big Ten Third Team distinction. Additionally, senior midfielder Skylar Giacobetti was bestowed with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Purdue's five All-Big Ten Team honors are its second-most in the team's 24 seasons and comes after a total of four players were recognized between 2011 and 2020. Just the 2021 team and the 2007 squad, with six, have earned more than three All-Big Ten awards since the program's inaugural season in 1998.
Griffith is the second player in program history to be recognized as the league's Forward of the Year, along with Maddy Williams in 2017, and the fifth to ever earn a Big Ten Player of the Year accolade. Griffith and Mathews' first team awards are Purdue's first since 2017 and the first time since 2009 the team has had more than one. Bova is the third All-Big Ten goalkeeper in team history. Griffith, who was on the second team in 2020, and Walsh, on the third team a year ago, are two-time All-Big Ten Team honorees, the seventh and eighth in program history.
WEEKLY AWARDS
The Boilermakers have earned six Big Ten Player of the Week awards. Griffith is a three-time Offensive Player of the Week honoree this year, tied for fourth-most by a single player in conference history, as she was recognized on August 31, September 28 and October 5. Sophomore defender Nicole Kevdzija was the Defensive Player of the Week on August 31, with Griffith, Mathews earned offensive accolades on September 21 and Bova was the Goalkeeper of the Week on October 26. Additionally, Mathews was recognized on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week twice.
NATIONALLY-RANKED BOILERMAKERS
Purdue is No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Boilermakers are ranked nationally for the fourth consecutive week, and it is their highest ranking since 2009, which also was the last year the team was ranked before three weeks ago. Purdue debuted at No. 25 on October 5, was No. 19 on October 12 and No. 18 last week. The Old Gold and Black also are at No. 3 in the North Region ranking, and they are No. 18 in the latest NCAA RPI. Purdue is No. 18 in the College Soccer News Top 30 Poll and No. 23 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings.
RECORD WATCHING
In her career, Bova's 0.890 goals-against average, .805 save percentage and 19 shutouts are all second-best all-time. She is fourth with 27 wins, 5,086.36 minutes and 54 starts and fifth in school history in with 207 saves.
In a single season, Bova is No. 3 with 90 saves and a .849 save percentage, No. 5 with 13 wins and tied for No. 6 with five shutouts and a 0.87 goals-against average. Her 13 victories is the most by a Boilermaker goalkeeper since 2007.
Griffith's 24 career goals and nine game-winning goals are sixth-most all-time and her 56 points is ninth. In 2021, she has 14 goals, tied for the school record, while her four game-winning goals and 30 points are tied for fourth.
She scored a goal in eight of 10 Big Ten games, had a point in all but one conference contest and notched a seven-game goal streak and an eight-game point streak, both school records. Meanwhile, senior midfielder Teagan Jones had a three-game assist streak, one game shy of tying the school record.
Mathews and Dunaway's seven assists are tied for No. 9 overall in a single season, and Dunaway is No. 2 in the school record books for assists by a freshman.
LAST TIME OUT: KEEPING THE BOOT, AGAIN
Purdue retained the Golden Boot Trophy for a seventh consecutive season with a 2-0 victory over rival Indiana on a rainy afternoon at Folk Field to conclude the regular season on October 24. Purdue improved to 16-4-6 all-time against IU with the win.
Mussallem and Griffith each had three points and Mathews two. Mussallem scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute and Griffith the insurance goal in the 80th, as they each assisted on the other's goal and Mathews had the primary helper on both. Meanwhile, Bova made two saves and another ball was cleared off the line to secure the clean sheet.
Griffith had a match-high six shots, four on goal, and Mathews had three shots. IU had 14 shots to Purdue's 13, but the defense allowed just three of the visitor's shots to go on target, while the home side delivered seven shots on goal. The Hoosier keeper made five saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score, highlights and postgame reaction from coach Drew Roff, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SERIES HISTORY VS. OHIO STATE
Purdue is 12-12-4 all-time against Ohio State, 4-7-2 in West Lafayette and 3-2-1 in the Big Ten Tournament. When the Boilermakers are ranked, they are 5-2-2 in the series, with all five wins and both ties coming against an unranked Buckeye side. Two weeks ago, on October 14 in Columbus, Purdue won a 1-0 overtime thriller in its first road game in the series since 2015. The Old Gold and Black have won the last three tournament games, including a 3-1 championship game victory in 2007 and a 2-1 quarterfinal win in 2008. The only time the two teams have met in the postseason in West Lafayette came in 2001, a 2-1 Purdue loss in overtime in the quarterfinal.
Two weeks ago, Griffith scored the fastest overtime goal in program history as Purdue beat Ohio State 1-0 in Columbus. The game-winner came at 90:34, as Griffith converted on a beautiful ball into the box by Jones. It was Purdue's fastest overtime goal and the fourth ever in the first minute of OT.
Bova made a career-best nine saves to earn her 17th career shutout. Senior midfielder Sydney Duarte had a team-best three shots, one on goal, and Griffith was held to one shot, which found the back of the net. Ohio State's goalkeeper made three saves.
A complete recap from the match, including box score and highlights, can be found at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is 9-7-2 after a 4-4-2 Big Ten slate. OSU is 3-2-1 on the road and 3-5-0 against top-25 opponents. Following the 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 19 Purdue on October 14, the Buckeyes are unbeaten in their last three, with a 2-1 home win against No. 22 Michigan on October 17, a double-overtime scoreless draw at Wisconsin on October 20 and a 2-1 win at Northwestern on October 24.
The Buckeyes are fourth in the Big Ten with 15.89 shots per game and fifth with 30 assists.
UP NEXT: BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
The winner between second-seeded Purdue and seventh-seeded Ohio State will advance to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal on Thursday, November 4, at 4 p.m. ET, on the Big Ten Network. The opponent will be the winner between No. 3-seed Michigan and No. 6-seed Penn State, and the contest will be held at the highest-seeded remaining team in the eight-team tournament.
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.