WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ahead of the season-opener on Thursday night, three Purdue soccer players have been named to the 2022 Big Ten Players to Watch List, the conference announced on Monday.
Fifth-year midfielder Sydney Duarte, junior midfielder Emily Mathews and sophomore forward Gracie Dunaway were recognized on the preseason watch list. All three are honored in the preseason for the first times in their careers, while Mathews' recognition comes after she was named to the All-Big Ten First Team at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
The trio helped Purdue to one of its greatest seasons in program history in 2021. The Boilermakers went 15-4-3, their second-best record and second-most wins all-time behind only 2007. The team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and seventh time ever, and advanced to the second round for the fourth time and first since 2007.
Duarte played in 20 games with 16 starts in 2021 as a senior. She scored three goals, tied for third on the team, with one game-winning goal. She added a game-winning assist and had seven points. From Lake Forest, California, Duarte has played in 66 career games with 51 starts. She has five goals with four assists for 14 points in her first four seasons as a Boilermaker.
Mathews earned All-Region Third Team accolades and was recognized on the All-Big Ten First Team last season as a junior. She started all 22 games and tied the team lead with seven assists, including a squad-best three game-winners, and was second with six goals, two game-winning goals and 19 points. Her three game-winning assists is tied for No. 7 all-time and her seven assists tied for No. 9 in the record books and was seventh in the Big Ten. A Macomb, Michigan, native, Mathews also led the Big Ten with five assists in conference play, was second with five goals and third with 13 points.
As a freshman in 2021, Dunaway started all 22 games and notched a team-high-tying seven assists, including two game-winners, and added a goal for nine points, third-most on the team. From Mars, Pennsylvania, Dunaway's seven assists are ninth-most in team history and second-most all-time by a freshman, and they were tied for seventh-most in the Big Ten last season.
Also on Monday, the Big Ten Preseason Poll was unveiled. In a vote amongst the leagues' 14 head coaches, the Boilermakers were voted to finish seventh. Last season, Purdue was picked 11th in the preseason but finished as the Big Ten runner-up with an 8-2-0 conference record. The eight wins and second-place finish tied the 2007 squad for the best in team history.
Duarte, Mathews, Dunaway and the Boilermakers open the 2022 season on Thursday night against No. 15 USC at Folk Field at 7 p.m. ET. The nationally-televised contest on the Big Ten Network is a matchup between two NCAA Tournament, top-25 and conference runners-up from a season ago.
Admission is free for all fans to Thursday's match and every regular-season home game once again in 2022.
Thursday is the beginning of Purdue's 17-game schedule, which features nine home matches and 10 Big Ten games. USC is one of four 2021 NCAA Tournament teams that will come to Folk Field in 2022.
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.
Fifth-year midfielder Sydney Duarte, junior midfielder Emily Mathews and sophomore forward Gracie Dunaway were recognized on the preseason watch list. All three are honored in the preseason for the first times in their careers, while Mathews' recognition comes after she was named to the All-Big Ten First Team at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
The trio helped Purdue to one of its greatest seasons in program history in 2021. The Boilermakers went 15-4-3, their second-best record and second-most wins all-time behind only 2007. The team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, and seventh time ever, and advanced to the second round for the fourth time and first since 2007.
Duarte played in 20 games with 16 starts in 2021 as a senior. She scored three goals, tied for third on the team, with one game-winning goal. She added a game-winning assist and had seven points. From Lake Forest, California, Duarte has played in 66 career games with 51 starts. She has five goals with four assists for 14 points in her first four seasons as a Boilermaker.
Mathews earned All-Region Third Team accolades and was recognized on the All-Big Ten First Team last season as a junior. She started all 22 games and tied the team lead with seven assists, including a squad-best three game-winners, and was second with six goals, two game-winning goals and 19 points. Her three game-winning assists is tied for No. 7 all-time and her seven assists tied for No. 9 in the record books and was seventh in the Big Ten. A Macomb, Michigan, native, Mathews also led the Big Ten with five assists in conference play, was second with five goals and third with 13 points.
As a freshman in 2021, Dunaway started all 22 games and notched a team-high-tying seven assists, including two game-winners, and added a goal for nine points, third-most on the team. From Mars, Pennsylvania, Dunaway's seven assists are ninth-most in team history and second-most all-time by a freshman, and they were tied for seventh-most in the Big Ten last season.
Also on Monday, the Big Ten Preseason Poll was unveiled. In a vote amongst the leagues' 14 head coaches, the Boilermakers were voted to finish seventh. Last season, Purdue was picked 11th in the preseason but finished as the Big Ten runner-up with an 8-2-0 conference record. The eight wins and second-place finish tied the 2007 squad for the best in team history.
Duarte, Mathews, Dunaway and the Boilermakers open the 2022 season on Thursday night against No. 15 USC at Folk Field at 7 p.m. ET. The nationally-televised contest on the Big Ten Network is a matchup between two NCAA Tournament, top-25 and conference runners-up from a season ago.
Admission is free for all fans to Thursday's match and every regular-season home game once again in 2022.
Thursday is the beginning of Purdue's 17-game schedule, which features nine home matches and 10 Big Ten games. USC is one of four 2021 NCAA Tournament teams that will come to Folk Field in 2022.
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.