WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue soccer put together one of its best attacking performances of the Big Ten season but came up just short, falling 1–0 on the road to Illinois on Sunday afternoon at Demirjian Park.
The Boilermakers fired 14 shots, including seven on target, and held a narrow edge in possession (52%), but an early goal from the Illini proved decisive. The Boilers drop to 5-8-3 on the season and 2-5-1 in conference.
Illinois opened the scoring in the 9th minute when Cayla Jackson finished for her sixth goal of the season. From there, Purdue controlled much of the match, generating 11 first-half shots and keeping pressure on Illini goalkeeper Izzy Lee, who finished with seven saves.
Cherry Yu and Megan Santa Cruz led the Purdue attack, combining for eight shots and five on goal. Chiara Singarella and Emilia Deppe each added key chances, but could not find the finish.
Goalkeeper Emily Edwards kept Purdue in the match, recording six saves—including four in the second half—as the Boilermakers limited Illinois to just 10 total shots. The back line, anchored by Zoe Cuneio, Margaux Chauvet, and Lauren Adam, held firm to keep the match tight after the early breakthrough.
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