WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue soccer senior defender Maya Lambert has been named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday.
It is the fourth Big Ten weekly accolade earned by a Boilermaker this season, the most of any team. The award is the first of Lambert's career.
Lambert recorded the assist on the match-winning goal on March 13 against Northwestern, and she led the Purdue defense to a pair of shutouts last week, with a 2-0 victory at Wisconsin on March 8 followed by a 1-0 home win over NU.
On the match-winning assist against the Wildcats, the ball was centered to Lambert from the near sideline by junior defender Julia Ware, 25 yards from Purdue's endline. Lambert dribbled several yards before she sent a long ball up the field to meet redshirt junior forward Sarah Griffith on the run, 25 yards in front of Northwestern's goal. Griffith dribbled to her left into the 18 and buried the match-winner at 73:12.
It was Lambert's second assist of her career, with the first, as a freshman in 2017, also the match-winner.
At Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten champions, the defense allowed just four shots, two on goal. Northwestern had eight shots, but just two were on goal. The shutouts of UW and NU were the first by Purdue this season and also the first time the Badgers and Wildcats were held without a goal during the 2020-21 campaign.
A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Lambert has started all six matches and has played 537 minutes, fourth-most on the team and 15 minutes shy of every minute. She has two shots, one on goal, on the season.
Lambert joins freshman forward Nicole Kevdzija as Big Ten weekly honorees in 2020-21, as Kevdzija was named the freshman of the week on March 2 and both the freshman and offensive player of the week on March 9.
Up next, Lambert and the Boilermakers welcome Ohio State to Folk Field on Thursday, March 18. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
It is the fourth Big Ten weekly accolade earned by a Boilermaker this season, the most of any team. The award is the first of Lambert's career.
Lambert recorded the assist on the match-winning goal on March 13 against Northwestern, and she led the Purdue defense to a pair of shutouts last week, with a 2-0 victory at Wisconsin on March 8 followed by a 1-0 home win over NU.
On the match-winning assist against the Wildcats, the ball was centered to Lambert from the near sideline by junior defender Julia Ware, 25 yards from Purdue's endline. Lambert dribbled several yards before she sent a long ball up the field to meet redshirt junior forward Sarah Griffith on the run, 25 yards in front of Northwestern's goal. Griffith dribbled to her left into the 18 and buried the match-winner at 73:12.
🎥 Sarah Griffith from Maya Lambert and Purdue is up 1-0!#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/UI22WiaOFR
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) March 13, 2021
It was Lambert's second assist of her career, with the first, as a freshman in 2017, also the match-winner.
At Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten champions, the defense allowed just four shots, two on goal. Northwestern had eight shots, but just two were on goal. The shutouts of UW and NU were the first by Purdue this season and also the first time the Badgers and Wildcats were held without a goal during the 2020-21 campaign.
A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Lambert has started all six matches and has played 537 minutes, fourth-most on the team and 15 minutes shy of every minute. She has two shots, one on goal, on the season.
Lambert joins freshman forward Nicole Kevdzija as Big Ten weekly honorees in 2020-21, as Kevdzija was named the freshman of the week on March 2 and both the freshman and offensive player of the week on March 9.
Up next, Lambert and the Boilermakers welcome Ohio State to Folk Field on Thursday, March 18. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.