WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A record crowd was on hand as the Purdue soccer team opened their season with a 1-1, double-overtime draw against Kentucky on Thursday night at Folk Field.
The crowd of 2,125 fans broke the program and facility attendance record as the Boilermakers (0-0-1) rallied with a goal in the 48th minute by senior forward Sarah Griffith. The Wildcats (0-0-1) gained a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute.
Purdue had an 18-14 advantage in shots, and both teams had seven shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova and her UK counterpart each made six saves. Griffith led all players with seven shots and had a game-high-tying two shots on goal. In her collegiate debut, freshman forward Gracie Dunaway was one of three Boilermakers with two shots, and both were on goal.
"(Sarah) is just such a dangerous attacking player, and tonight she showed off all her attacking skills," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "Her ability to chop the ball and make defenders look silly, more or less, is kind of what she does. She just has a knack for scoring goals, even the one that she scored wasn't a great angle by any stretch, but she was able to chip it over the keeper, it was a brilliant shot. She's someone the other team always has to be aware of and she's somebody that gives us tons of confidence. And tonight, we had a great crowd, it's obviously awesome to hear everybody cheering her on and every time she'd do a move get excited."
Griffith's match-tying goal came at 47:34, and it was another highlight-reel score that would be ranked No. 5 on ESPN Sports Center's Top-10 Plays later in the evening. Griffith received the ball near the sideline in front of Purdue's bench, dribbled towards the near corned of the 18-yard box and wove around a Kentucky defender. She then sent a left-footed shot into the far upper corner of the goal beyond the outstretched arms of the leaping UK goalkeeper.
That tied the contest at 1-1 after the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead at 29:25. The opening goal came off the foot of Hannah Richardson, with an assist to Jordyn Rhodes.
Despite a light rain late in the first half and through part of the second half, the early-arriving, record-setting crowd that encircled the Folk Field pitch did not let up its cheers and chants throughout the 110-minute contest.
"We went from very limited crowds last spring, just basically family members, to having over 2,000 people here tonight, so the energy, people banging on the signboards, chanting and the Boilermaker cheers, it was fantastic," Roff added. "It kept the energy level high and we needed all those fans … The fans were tremendous and it just made for a great night. We of course wanted that win, ties always have you feel like maybe we could have found a way, but all in all just an incredible night of soccer and I'm really proud of my team's effort."
Purdue held a 6-3 advantage in shots in the first half, while both goalkeepers made one save. The Boilermakers had a 3-0 edge in corner kicks.
The home side controlled the run of play in the opening 20 minutes. Purdue had two shots in the first four minutes, one each by Griffith and Dunaway, with Dunaway's in the fourth minute saved. Senior midfielder Skylurr Patrick had a shot high and one blocked, and Griffith had another that was high to cap a 4-0 edge in shots for the Boilermakers at the 20 minute mark.
Kentucky's first shot of the match came in the 24th minute, before UK scored the first goal in the 30th minute. Purdue's next shot was courtesy of Griffith, which was high in the 37th minute. A Boilermaker corner kick in the 41st minute was the final chance for either team in the first half.
The second 45 minutes featured a 7-6 advantage in shots for Kentucky, though Bova made four saves to UK's two. Purdue had one corner and the Wildcats earned a pair.
Griffith's goal in the 48th minute came just over a minute after Bova made her first save of the half. Two more Kentucky shots, both off target, followed Purdue's goal before sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews had a shot blocked. On the rebound, Dunaway's attempt was saved in the 61st minute.
In a four-minute span beginning in the 76th minute, Bova made three nice saves to keep it a 1-1 match. Kentucky had another shot that went wide in the 80th minute, but that proved to be the final chance for either team in regulation.
UK held a 3-1 advantage in shots in the first overtime, though Purdue's one shot, by freshman forward Olivia Simmons, was the only shot on goal for either club.
The Boilermakers had five shots, two on goal, in the second overtime, while the Wildcats were limited to one shot, which Bova made a great save on. In the 102nd minute, Purdue's keeper made her sixth and final save as she deflected the shot over the crossbar. That set up a UK corner kick, but the home side prevented another shot.
Off a free kick in the 105th minute, senior midfielder Grace Walsh had two shots, though the first was blocked and the second was saved off a rebound. A minute later Griffith had a chance that was just wide of the net, and she added another from 25 yards away that went right into the keeper's chest.
In the final seconds, senior defender Teagan Jones had a header off a corner kick that went just high.
Up next, the season-opening weekend continues when Purdue travels to No. 18 Vanderbilt on Sunday, August 22. Kickoff in Nashville is at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT, and the match will air on SECN+.
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 crowd of 2,125 fans broke the program and facility attendance record as the Boilermakers (0-0-1) rallied with a goal in the 48th minute by senior forward Sarah Griffith. The Wildcats (0-0-1) gained a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute.
Purdue had an 18-14 advantage in shots, and both teams had seven shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova and her UK counterpart each made six saves. Griffith led all players with seven shots and had a game-high-tying two shots on goal. In her collegiate debut, freshman forward Gracie Dunaway was one of three Boilermakers with two shots, and both were on goal.
"(Sarah) is just such a dangerous attacking player, and tonight she showed off all her attacking skills," Purdue coach Drew Roff said. "Her ability to chop the ball and make defenders look silly, more or less, is kind of what she does. She just has a knack for scoring goals, even the one that she scored wasn't a great angle by any stretch, but she was able to chip it over the keeper, it was a brilliant shot. She's someone the other team always has to be aware of and she's somebody that gives us tons of confidence. And tonight, we had a great crowd, it's obviously awesome to hear everybody cheering her on and every time she'd do a move get excited."
Griffith's match-tying goal came at 47:34, and it was another highlight-reel score that would be ranked No. 5 on ESPN Sports Center's Top-10 Plays later in the evening. Griffith received the ball near the sideline in front of Purdue's bench, dribbled towards the near corned of the 18-yard box and wove around a Kentucky defender. She then sent a left-footed shot into the far upper corner of the goal beyond the outstretched arms of the leaping UK goalkeeper.
Sarah Griffith with the No. 5⃣ play on ESPN's #SCTop10!!#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/QsF1bab418
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) August 20, 2021
That tied the contest at 1-1 after the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead at 29:25. The opening goal came off the foot of Hannah Richardson, with an assist to Jordyn Rhodes.
Despite a light rain late in the first half and through part of the second half, the early-arriving, record-setting crowd that encircled the Folk Field pitch did not let up its cheers and chants throughout the 110-minute contest.
"We went from very limited crowds last spring, just basically family members, to having over 2,000 people here tonight, so the energy, people banging on the signboards, chanting and the Boilermaker cheers, it was fantastic," Roff added. "It kept the energy level high and we needed all those fans … The fans were tremendous and it just made for a great night. We of course wanted that win, ties always have you feel like maybe we could have found a way, but all in all just an incredible night of soccer and I'm really proud of my team's effort."
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Purdue held a 6-3 advantage in shots in the first half, while both goalkeepers made one save. The Boilermakers had a 3-0 edge in corner kicks.
The home side controlled the run of play in the opening 20 minutes. Purdue had two shots in the first four minutes, one each by Griffith and Dunaway, with Dunaway's in the fourth minute saved. Senior midfielder Skylurr Patrick had a shot high and one blocked, and Griffith had another that was high to cap a 4-0 edge in shots for the Boilermakers at the 20 minute mark.
Kentucky's first shot of the match came in the 24th minute, before UK scored the first goal in the 30th minute. Purdue's next shot was courtesy of Griffith, which was high in the 37th minute. A Boilermaker corner kick in the 41st minute was the final chance for either team in the first half.
The second 45 minutes featured a 7-6 advantage in shots for Kentucky, though Bova made four saves to UK's two. Purdue had one corner and the Wildcats earned a pair.
Griffith's goal in the 48th minute came just over a minute after Bova made her first save of the half. Two more Kentucky shots, both off target, followed Purdue's goal before sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews had a shot blocked. On the rebound, Dunaway's attempt was saved in the 61st minute.
In a four-minute span beginning in the 76th minute, Bova made three nice saves to keep it a 1-1 match. Kentucky had another shot that went wide in the 80th minute, but that proved to be the final chance for either team in regulation.
Mo says no!!
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) August 20, 2021
Another great save by Marisa Bova, she has 5 tonight.
📺 BTN+ https://t.co/4iqyWcSyHt
📊 https://t.co/BvsIoOGdWL#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/nH2EA7R3pD
UK held a 3-1 advantage in shots in the first overtime, though Purdue's one shot, by freshman forward Olivia Simmons, was the only shot on goal for either club.
The Boilermakers had five shots, two on goal, in the second overtime, while the Wildcats were limited to one shot, which Bova made a great save on. In the 102nd minute, Purdue's keeper made her sixth and final save as she deflected the shot over the crossbar. That set up a UK corner kick, but the home side prevented another shot.
Off a free kick in the 105th minute, senior midfielder Grace Walsh had two shots, though the first was blocked and the second was saved off a rebound. A minute later Griffith had a chance that was just wide of the net, and she added another from 25 yards away that went right into the keeper's chest.
In the final seconds, senior defender Teagan Jones had a header off a corner kick that went just high.
Up next, the season-opening weekend continues when Purdue travels to No. 18 Vanderbilt on Sunday, August 22. Kickoff in Nashville is at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT, and the match will air on SECN+.
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.