Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
Wildcats Knock Off No. 14 Purdue, 2-1
10/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 17, 2003 Box Score
NU-Purdue Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Northwestern women's soccer team entered this weekend -- the final full weekend of Big Ten play -- knowing that it needed to get results if it is to make the eight-team Big Ten Tournament in a few weeks.
The Wildcats took a large step toward that goal Friday, knocking off 14th-ranked Purdue 2-1 in West Lafayette.
"We played very hard and very well today,' said NU head coach Jenny Haigh, who saw her team knock off a ranked opponent for the first time in her three-year tenure. "We put together a very good team effort and we were solid all over the field."
Northwestern (7-6-1, 3-4-1 Big Ten) used a pair of goals and took advantage of a Purdue miscue in gaining the victory.
The 'Cats jumped on the scoreboard in the 36th minute on a Carolyn Hack goal, her first of the season. The assist came from Molly Greene, who slotted the ball to Hack standing near the top left corner of the penalty box. Hack's shot was planted into the upper left corner of the net, past Purdue goalkeeper Lauren Mason.
In the 55th minute, it was a Purdue own goal which was responsible for what proved to be the decisive goal. While attempting to clear a cross out of the goal box, the Boilers' Jenny Kinkead accidentally headed the ball into her own net. Kinkead was defending NU's Ashleigh Garmon in the goal box when the cross came in from Tabitha Lowey on the left side, but the pass cleared Garmon's head and instead hit Kinkead.
Purdue (9-3-2, 5-2-1) -- which was tied for second in the conference standings entering the match -- continued to fight for the remaining 35 minutes, but Northwestern's defense kept Purdue's offense bottled up tight. In fact, the Wildcats outshot the Boilermakers in the match, 10-9.
"Purdue came after us pretty hard down the stretch," said Haigh. "But our defense did an outstanding job all day long."
Purdue's goal came with just 1:01 on the clock, when Lauren Sesselman finished off a ball from Kelly Haxton. That was the only blemish against the 'Cats, however; freshman goalkeeper Whitney Jones was not called upon to make a save on the day.
The Wildcats continue their Indiana road trip through the weekend, meeting Indiana University Sunday at noon in Bloomington. Following Sunday's match, the Wildcats close out the Big Ten season next Friday with a match at 20th-ranked Illinois.
MATCH SUMMARY
Score by Half
Northwestern (7-6-1, 3-4-1) 1 1 - 2
Purdue (9-3-2, 5-2-1) 0 1 - 1
Goal Summary
NU - Carolyn Hack (Molly Greene), 35:30
NU - Purdue own goal, 54:54
PUR - Lauren Sesselman (Kelly Haxton), 88:59
Shots: NU 10, Purdue 9
Corner Kicks: Purdue 8, NU 5
Fouls: NU 19, Purdue 17
GK Saves: NU - Whitney Jones 0; PUR - Lauren Mason 3 (87:00), Maureen Carey 0 (3:00)
