WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue soccer team welcomes Iona to Folk Field to conclude the opening weekend of the 2023 season on Sunday, August 20, at noon ET, in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Admission is free for all fans to the contest and to each regular-season home game in 2023. Sunday is the annual Pooches at the Pitch game, where fans are welcomed to bring their four-legged friends to cheer on the Boilermakers. Early-arriving fans with dogs will receive a free Purdue Soccer dog bandana while supplies last. Dog owners must provide proof of current vaccinations for their dog and must sign a waiver upon arrival at the game. As a reminder to all fans, a clear bag policy is in effect for all Purdue Athletics events once again in 2023.
Sunday afternoon's game will be broadcast live on B1G+, and live stats are available at PurdueStats.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
The Boilermakers are coming off a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to No. 24 UCF on Thursday night in front of a record crowd of 4,096 fans at Folk Field. The Gaels opened the 2023 campaign with a 2-0 loss at Providence on August 17.
OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS
Despite the loss on Thursday night, the Boilermakers are 8-5-2 in opening-weekend games in head coach Drew Roff's nine-year tenure. Thursday was just Purdue's second season-opening defeat under Roff, as his side now is 6-2-1 in such games and 7-1-1 in home-openers.
RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS
The largest crowd in Purdue soccer history was on hand for Thursday night's Boiler Gold Rush season-kickoff game. That marked the third year in a row that the single-game attendance record was broken at Folk Field. The 2023 record topped last year's mark of 3,296, which bested 2021's then-record of 2,125 fans that encircled Purdue's home pitch. Prior to 2021, the team attendance record was 1,712, set in 2016, a number that now ranks No. 4 all-time.
SCOUTING IONA
Iona is 0-1-0 on the season after a 2-0 loss at Providence on Thursday. Both goals were scored within 46 seconds, in the 26th and 27th minutes. Iona was out-shot 23-2, and Providence held an 11-1 advantage in shots on target. Kayla Thomas and Kedarjah Lewis registered shots, while Caroline Scott had six saves and Savannah Rogers made three stops, each playing 45 minutes.
Thomas was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC team. She was one of three Gaels to be named to the All-MAAC Team in 2022, as Iona posted an 8-7-4 record and a 3-6-1 mark in conference play a year ago.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE GAELS
Purdue and Iona meet for the first time on Sunday, and it also marks the first time that the Boilermakers have played a team currently in the MAAC. The last time Purdue faced a squad from the state of New York was in 2010, when the Boilermakers hosted both St. Bonaventure and Hofstra, with a 4-1 win on August 29 against the Bonnies and a 3-1 loss on September 10 to The Pride.
LAST TIME OUT: PURDUE EDGED BY NO. 24 UCF
The Boilermakers opened the 2023 season with a 1-0 loss to No. 24 UCF on August 17. In an evenly played contest with numerous good scoring opportunities for both teams, the Boilermakers played right with the 24th-ranked Knights. Purdue had several chances to tie the game late, but a goal by the visitors in the 49th minute proved to be the difference. A record 4,096 fans were on hand at Folk Field.
Opening the year against a top-25 opponent under the lights at Folk Field for the second consecutive year, the Boilermakers had 14 shots, four on target. The Knights, coming off an NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance and regular-season conference title, recorded 16 shots, six on goal. Both teams earned five corner kicks and UCF had 11 fouls, with two yellow cards, while Purdue had eight fouls.
Senior midfielder Emily Mathews logged a team-best four shots and freshman midfielder Lauren Omholt had three shots and a team-high two shots on goal as she made her collegiate debut. Sophomore forward Kayla Budish also posted three shots. In her first game as a Boilermaker senior Charlotte Cyr made five saves, while her UCF counterpart stopped four shots.
A complete recap from the game is available at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
UP NEXT: IN-STATE MATCHUP
The Boilermakers welcome in-state foe Valparaiso to Folk Field on Thursday, August 24. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET, and admission is free for all fans.
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.
Admission is free for all fans to the contest and to each regular-season home game in 2023. Sunday is the annual Pooches at the Pitch game, where fans are welcomed to bring their four-legged friends to cheer on the Boilermakers. Early-arriving fans with dogs will receive a free Purdue Soccer dog bandana while supplies last. Dog owners must provide proof of current vaccinations for their dog and must sign a waiver upon arrival at the game. As a reminder to all fans, a clear bag policy is in effect for all Purdue Athletics events once again in 2023.
Sunday afternoon's game will be broadcast live on B1G+, and live stats are available at PurdueStats.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
The Boilermakers are coming off a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to No. 24 UCF on Thursday night in front of a record crowd of 4,096 fans at Folk Field. The Gaels opened the 2023 campaign with a 2-0 loss at Providence on August 17.
OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS
Despite the loss on Thursday night, the Boilermakers are 8-5-2 in opening-weekend games in head coach Drew Roff's nine-year tenure. Thursday was just Purdue's second season-opening defeat under Roff, as his side now is 6-2-1 in such games and 7-1-1 in home-openers.
RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS
The largest crowd in Purdue soccer history was on hand for Thursday night's Boiler Gold Rush season-kickoff game. That marked the third year in a row that the single-game attendance record was broken at Folk Field. The 2023 record topped last year's mark of 3,296, which bested 2021's then-record of 2,125 fans that encircled Purdue's home pitch. Prior to 2021, the team attendance record was 1,712, set in 2016, a number that now ranks No. 4 all-time.
SCOUTING IONA
Iona is 0-1-0 on the season after a 2-0 loss at Providence on Thursday. Both goals were scored within 46 seconds, in the 26th and 27th minutes. Iona was out-shot 23-2, and Providence held an 11-1 advantage in shots on target. Kayla Thomas and Kedarjah Lewis registered shots, while Caroline Scott had six saves and Savannah Rogers made three stops, each playing 45 minutes.
Thomas was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC team. She was one of three Gaels to be named to the All-MAAC Team in 2022, as Iona posted an 8-7-4 record and a 3-6-1 mark in conference play a year ago.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE GAELS
Purdue and Iona meet for the first time on Sunday, and it also marks the first time that the Boilermakers have played a team currently in the MAAC. The last time Purdue faced a squad from the state of New York was in 2010, when the Boilermakers hosted both St. Bonaventure and Hofstra, with a 4-1 win on August 29 against the Bonnies and a 3-1 loss on September 10 to The Pride.
LAST TIME OUT: PURDUE EDGED BY NO. 24 UCF
The Boilermakers opened the 2023 season with a 1-0 loss to No. 24 UCF on August 17. In an evenly played contest with numerous good scoring opportunities for both teams, the Boilermakers played right with the 24th-ranked Knights. Purdue had several chances to tie the game late, but a goal by the visitors in the 49th minute proved to be the difference. A record 4,096 fans were on hand at Folk Field.
Opening the year against a top-25 opponent under the lights at Folk Field for the second consecutive year, the Boilermakers had 14 shots, four on target. The Knights, coming off an NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance and regular-season conference title, recorded 16 shots, six on goal. Both teams earned five corner kicks and UCF had 11 fouls, with two yellow cards, while Purdue had eight fouls.
Senior midfielder Emily Mathews logged a team-best four shots and freshman midfielder Lauren Omholt had three shots and a team-high two shots on goal as she made her collegiate debut. Sophomore forward Kayla Budish also posted three shots. In her first game as a Boilermaker senior Charlotte Cyr made five saves, while her UCF counterpart stopped four shots.
A complete recap from the game is available at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
UP NEXT: IN-STATE MATCHUP
The Boilermakers welcome in-state foe Valparaiso to Folk Field on Thursday, August 24. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET, and admission is free for all fans.
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.