WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue soccer senior forward Sarah Griffith and sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews have been named to the All-Region Team by the United Soccer Coaches.
Griffith is recognized on the North Region First Team and Mathews is on the Third Team. The duo earned the 14th and 15th all-region honors in team history and just the second and third since 2010. Griffith is the sixth Purdue player to collect first team accolades, and Mathews is the third midfielder recognized in the program's 24-year history.
This year marks the third time two or more Boilermakers earned the distinction in a single season, along with three honors in 2003 and five in 2007. Forward Maddy Williams, in 2017, joins Griffith and Mathews as Purdue's three All-Region Team members since 2010.
The Big Ten Forward of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team honoree, Griffith had a record-breaking 2021 season as one of the nation's most prolific scorers. Among all NCAA Division I players, she was No. 2 with 2.67 shots on goal per game, No. 4 with 4.81 shots per game, No. 5 with six game-winning goals, No. 6 with 16 goals and No. 14 with 35 points, all the best in the Big Ten. Griffith played in and started 21 games and had a Purdue-record 16 goals and three assists for 35 points, second-most in program history, with a team-record-tying six game-winning goals and two game-winning assists She had 101 shots and 56 shots on goal, both school records, in 1,566 minutes.
In one of the nation's toughest conferences, Griffith led the Big Ten with 20 points and nine goals in 10 conference games, ahead of the next-closest player by seven points and four goals. She scored at least one goal in eight of 10 Big Ten games and had at least a point in nine of 10. Griffith's 16 goals included a team-record two overtime goals, with one in the NCAA Tournament, the sixth hat trick in team history and two goals that appeared on ESPN's #SCTop10 Plays.
Griffith was a three-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the fourth-most weekly honors by a single player in conference history, and she was recognized on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. A Naperville, Illinois, native, Griffith also served as a team captain for a second season.
Mathews was an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and had seven assists in 2021, sixth-most in the Big Ten and tied for No. 9 in a single season in school history, with three game-winning assists, tied for No. 7 in the Purdue record books. While starting all 22 games as a midfielder, Mathews was second on the team with six goals, 19 points, 37 shots and 22 shots on goal. She tied for second with two game-winning goals.
In Big Ten action, Mathews led the conference with five assists and was second with five goals and third with 13 points. She registered the seventh hat trick in program history on September 19 at Nebraska, which marked the second road hat trick and third three-goal game in Big Ten play by a Boilermaker.
The Macomb, Michigan, native was a two-time honoree on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week accolades on September 21.
Griffith and Mathews helped the Boilermakers to a 15-4-3 season, their second-best record and second-most wins in program history behind only 2007. Purdue made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and seventh time in program history, and advanced to the second round for the fourth time and first since 2007. The squad went 8-2-0 in the Big Ten and notched a runner-up finish, both tied for their best-ever marks. Additionally, the Boilermakers appeared in the national rankings for the first time since 2009, and have been ranked for six consecutive weeks.
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.
Griffith is recognized on the North Region First Team and Mathews is on the Third Team. The duo earned the 14th and 15th all-region honors in team history and just the second and third since 2010. Griffith is the sixth Purdue player to collect first team accolades, and Mathews is the third midfielder recognized in the program's 24-year history.
This year marks the third time two or more Boilermakers earned the distinction in a single season, along with three honors in 2003 and five in 2007. Forward Maddy Williams, in 2017, joins Griffith and Mathews as Purdue's three All-Region Team members since 2010.
The Big Ten Forward of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team honoree, Griffith had a record-breaking 2021 season as one of the nation's most prolific scorers. Among all NCAA Division I players, she was No. 2 with 2.67 shots on goal per game, No. 4 with 4.81 shots per game, No. 5 with six game-winning goals, No. 6 with 16 goals and No. 14 with 35 points, all the best in the Big Ten. Griffith played in and started 21 games and had a Purdue-record 16 goals and three assists for 35 points, second-most in program history, with a team-record-tying six game-winning goals and two game-winning assists She had 101 shots and 56 shots on goal, both school records, in 1,566 minutes.
In one of the nation's toughest conferences, Griffith led the Big Ten with 20 points and nine goals in 10 conference games, ahead of the next-closest player by seven points and four goals. She scored at least one goal in eight of 10 Big Ten games and had at least a point in nine of 10. Griffith's 16 goals included a team-record two overtime goals, with one in the NCAA Tournament, the sixth hat trick in team history and two goals that appeared on ESPN's #SCTop10 Plays.
Griffith was a three-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the fourth-most weekly honors by a single player in conference history, and she was recognized on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. A Naperville, Illinois, native, Griffith also served as a team captain for a second season.
Sarah Griffith has been named to the 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦! She's the sixth first team honoree in team history and first since 2017.
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) November 29, 2021
Congratulations, Sarah! 👏#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/eSNp01K5AO
Mathews was an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and had seven assists in 2021, sixth-most in the Big Ten and tied for No. 9 in a single season in school history, with three game-winning assists, tied for No. 7 in the Purdue record books. While starting all 22 games as a midfielder, Mathews was second on the team with six goals, 19 points, 37 shots and 22 shots on goal. She tied for second with two game-winning goals.
In Big Ten action, Mathews led the conference with five assists and was second with five goals and third with 13 points. She registered the seventh hat trick in program history on September 19 at Nebraska, which marked the second road hat trick and third three-goal game in Big Ten play by a Boilermaker.
The Macomb, Michigan, native was a two-time honoree on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week accolades on September 21.
Emily Mathews is an 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 honoree! She is the third Boilermaker midfielder ever to be recognized.
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) November 29, 2021
Congrats, Emily! 👏#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/WRDdCQ79Fb
Griffith and Mathews helped the Boilermakers to a 15-4-3 season, their second-best record and second-most wins in program history behind only 2007. Purdue made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and seventh time in program history, and advanced to the second round for the fourth time and first since 2007. The squad went 8-2-0 in the Big Ten and notched a runner-up finish, both tied for their best-ever marks. Additionally, the Boilermakers appeared in the national rankings for the first time since 2009, and have been ranked for six consecutive weeks.
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.