Northwestern
9-0-0, 2-0-0B1G
Purdue
3-5-0, 1-1-0B1G
Team Stats
LOVERA, BRENNA (6)
Assisted By: MEHTA, NANDI , CHERNESKY
goes head on with keeper, low ball to fa
10:54
MEHTA, NANDI (1)
NU MEHTA, NANDI PENALTY KICK GOAL, goal number 1 for season.
48:13
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Wildcats Stay Perfect With 2-0 Win Over Purdue
9/18/2016 5:33:00 PM | Women's Soccer
By David Herder, Northwestern Athletics
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Fifth-year senior Nandi Mehta and sophomore Brenna Lovera registered goals on Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats tallied their eighth shutout of the season with a 2-0 win over Purdue.
Chicago's Big Ten Team has now gone 626:39 minutes without conceding a goal, and has allowed just one goal all season.
Northwestern maintains its perfect 9-0-0 record on the season, and 2-0-0 in Big Ten play, while Purdue drops to 3-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in conference action.
Lanny & Sharon Martin Stadium saw end to end action as Lauren Clem made three saves and recorded her program-record 30th clean sheet. Thirteen Wildcats fired shots through 90 minutes of play while the squad outshot the Boilermakers, 19-7.
Purdue opened play with an early shot on goal, but the Wildcats' defense clamped down thereafter, taking the sting out of the Boilermaker attack through the end of the half.
Freshman Maddy Lucas had the #B1GCats' first chance of the day, when her left-footed curler forced a save. Nikia Smith came on in the ninth minute before collecting low cross from the left side and ripping a shot into the side netting just thirty seconds later. A near identical play occurred just two minutes later, but Smith's shot skimmed over the bar.
The Wildcats broke the deadlock early on in the 11th minute when sophomore Michele Chernesky and Mehta combined to spring through Lovera, who collected the through-ball and coolly slotted home to the lower far post.
Northwestern controlled the game throughout the first half, outshooting Purdue 11-2. Lovera almost added her second goal in the 21st minute, but her effort just missed high.
Mehta gave Northwestern a perfect start to the second half, doubling the lead when she tucked a penalty kick inside the left post.
The Wildcats' stalwart defense had not conceded since October 25th, and continued their dominance in the second half. Purdue was able to muster just one shot on goal in the second half with a weak ball, which Clem made easy work of. The clean sheet was Clem's second in just as many years against the Boilermakers.
Northwestern hits the road for its next matchup, heading East to Piscataway, N.J. for the first of a three game road swing. NU will faceoff against Rutgers on Sept. 23, at 4:30 p.m. CT.
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