WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue soccer team concludes the opening weekend of the regular season in Indianapolis at Butler on Sunday, August 18.
Kickoff in the Circle City is set for 7 p.m. ET at Butler's Sellick Bowl.
Live stats are available at Butler.Statbroadcast.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
Sunday night is the first matchup between the Boilermakers and Bulldogs since 2012, and Purdue's first game in Indianapolis since 2009. It will be just the fourth time the Old Gold and Black have played in Indy in the program's 27-year history.
The Boilermakers are 1-0-0 on the season after a 1-0 victory over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field. Senior forward Gracie Dunaway netted the game winner. It was the 11th goal of her career and the third in an opening-night contest, and she now has two career game-winning goals. Senior defender Sydney Boudreau got the assist, the second of her career.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler is 0-0-1 in 2024 after a 1-1 draw to Ohio on Thursday night at home. The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute before the home side evened the score five minutes later. Leila Lister came off the bench and found the back of the net for the Bulldogs, and Lucia Englund and Talia Sommer were credited with assists. Anna Pierce made four saves.
BU is coached by 2003 Purdue alumna Tari St. John. A freshman on the inaugural team in 1998, she helped the Boilermakers to their first NCAA appearance in 2022 as a senior. Rob Alman joins St. John as co-head coach of the Bulldogs.
Last year, Butler posted a 6-8-6 record.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BULLDOGS
Purdue is 6-1-0 all-time against Butler and 3-0-0 in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers won the first six meetings, beginning with a 2-0 triumph at home in 1998. Matchups in 1999, 2000 and 2001 followed before a three year hiatus. The last three contests between the in-state foes took place in 2005, 2009 and 2012. Purdue earned a 2-1 win in 2009, the last game in Indianapolis, and Butler claimed a 1-0 win in 2012 in West Lafayette. The other two meetings in Indy were in 1999 and 2000, Boilermaker victories by 3-0 and 3-1 margins, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT: 76TH-MINUTE WINNER
The 2024 season began with a 1-0 win over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field thanks to Dunaway's 76th-minute goal.
Purdue had 16 shots, seven on goal, while the Cougars were held to seven shots, three on target. The Boilermakers earned nine corner kicks and limited WSU to just one. Three Boilermakers had three shots, including Dunaway and sophomore forward Lauren Omholt, who each posted two shots on goal. Sophomore Emily Edwards made her first career start and stopped all three shots she faced to earn the clean sheet in her debut in the Old Gold and Black. Edwards' WSU counterpart made six saves.
The fourth-largest crowd in team history witnessed the victory, as 1,713 energetic fans encircled the pitch at Folk Field and created a raucous atmosphere for 90 minutes. Thursday night's contest was the first time Purdue and Washington State squared off in soccer.
Read more about the win at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SEASON-OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS
With Thursday's win, the Boilermakers are 17-8-2 all-time in season openers. On Sunday they will look to improve on a 29-18-5 record in season-opening-weekend games. The last time Purdue opened the year at home and concluded that weekend on the road was 2021. Prior to that, the last time the Old Gold and Black had a similar split weekend to begin a campaign was 2009, when the opening weekend also finished at Butler.
UP NEXT: IN-STATE FOE ON THE ROAD
Purdue returns home for two games next week, beginning against Loyola Chicago on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. Kickoff is free for all fans to the contest and each regular-season home game at Folk Field.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.
Kickoff in the Circle City is set for 7 p.m. ET at Butler's Sellick Bowl.
Live stats are available at Butler.Statbroadcast.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
Sunday night is the first matchup between the Boilermakers and Bulldogs since 2012, and Purdue's first game in Indianapolis since 2009. It will be just the fourth time the Old Gold and Black have played in Indy in the program's 27-year history.
The Boilermakers are 1-0-0 on the season after a 1-0 victory over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field. Senior forward Gracie Dunaway netted the game winner. It was the 11th goal of her career and the third in an opening-night contest, and she now has two career game-winning goals. Senior defender Sydney Boudreau got the assist, the second of her career.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler is 0-0-1 in 2024 after a 1-1 draw to Ohio on Thursday night at home. The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute before the home side evened the score five minutes later. Leila Lister came off the bench and found the back of the net for the Bulldogs, and Lucia Englund and Talia Sommer were credited with assists. Anna Pierce made four saves.
BU is coached by 2003 Purdue alumna Tari St. John. A freshman on the inaugural team in 1998, she helped the Boilermakers to their first NCAA appearance in 2022 as a senior. Rob Alman joins St. John as co-head coach of the Bulldogs.
Last year, Butler posted a 6-8-6 record.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BULLDOGS
Purdue is 6-1-0 all-time against Butler and 3-0-0 in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers won the first six meetings, beginning with a 2-0 triumph at home in 1998. Matchups in 1999, 2000 and 2001 followed before a three year hiatus. The last three contests between the in-state foes took place in 2005, 2009 and 2012. Purdue earned a 2-1 win in 2009, the last game in Indianapolis, and Butler claimed a 1-0 win in 2012 in West Lafayette. The other two meetings in Indy were in 1999 and 2000, Boilermaker victories by 3-0 and 3-1 margins, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT: 76TH-MINUTE WINNER
The 2024 season began with a 1-0 win over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field thanks to Dunaway's 76th-minute goal.
Purdue had 16 shots, seven on goal, while the Cougars were held to seven shots, three on target. The Boilermakers earned nine corner kicks and limited WSU to just one. Three Boilermakers had three shots, including Dunaway and sophomore forward Lauren Omholt, who each posted two shots on goal. Sophomore Emily Edwards made her first career start and stopped all three shots she faced to earn the clean sheet in her debut in the Old Gold and Black. Edwards' WSU counterpart made six saves.
The fourth-largest crowd in team history witnessed the victory, as 1,713 energetic fans encircled the pitch at Folk Field and created a raucous atmosphere for 90 minutes. Thursday night's contest was the first time Purdue and Washington State squared off in soccer.
Read more about the win at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SEASON-OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS
With Thursday's win, the Boilermakers are 17-8-2 all-time in season openers. On Sunday they will look to improve on a 29-18-5 record in season-opening-weekend games. The last time Purdue opened the year at home and concluded that weekend on the road was 2021. Prior to that, the last time the Old Gold and Black had a similar split weekend to begin a campaign was 2009, when the opening weekend also finished at Butler.
UP NEXT: IN-STATE FOE ON THE ROAD
Purdue returns home for two games next week, beginning against Loyola Chicago on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. Kickoff is free for all fans to the contest and each regular-season home game at Folk Field.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.