Monday, September 9, 2013

Boilers emerge undefeated after weekend

The Purdue women’s soccer team defended their pitch over the weekend and emerged with a win and a draw to improve to 3-2-1 on the season.
On Friday, the team battled Ivy League standout Dartmouth to a thrilling 5-3 victory. The Boilermaker offense, led by freshman Maddy Williams with two scores on the weekend, was able to put up five goals against a Big Green side that only allowed 13 all of last season.
Williams, the team’s leading scorer, is just one of many facets of a dynamic offense that has 20 goals already this year, a program-high to start a season.
“I think our offense is really starting to click. Right from the start, me and Hadley [Stuart] really meshed right away ... So I think our whole offense is starting to get there which I think will be really good going down the line,” said Wiliams.
Despite his side’s strong offensive showing, head coach Robert Klatte says that defensive lapses and small miscues have forced the team’s offense to score in order to get results.
“We’ve gotta shore up at the back. Because if we give up two goals a game weekly, you just put so much pressure on your offense,” said Klatte. “In the past, it’s been pressure on our defense; ‘Gotta pitch a shutout because it’s tough for us to score goals.’ Well, now we’re scoring goals. We just need to get a little tighter at the back.”
Those issues plagued Purdue again Sunday afternoon when the team was forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Seattle Redhawks. Purdue once again dominated offensively, but allowed two goals on only four shots on goal.
Williams again opened scoring for the Boilers with a goal just three minutes into the match, becoming the first Purdue player to score six goals in six games since 2009. Junior Alex Hairston would also score during the period, but defensive miscues cost the team two scores before the halftime mark.
No goals were scored during the final 70 minutes of the game, but both teams threatened several times during the match. Freshman Jordan Ginther’s diving save in the 72nd minute helped the Boilers hold on and reach extra time.
Williams said that the offense trickled off in the second half and was unable to find the winning goal.
“It was frustrating. Our intensity went down when it should have gone up. We did get fewer chances, which was frustrating, but we just need to take advantage of them,” said Williams. “We’ve been in this kind of Sunday slump, I guess. Just Sundays in general are really hard — you’re fatigued; you’re tired. You feel dead.”
The Boilers next match will be at 7 p.m. on Friday against IPFW at the Boilermaker soccer complex.

http://www.purdueexponent.org/sports/article_22456d41-4c02-5134-be8b-d2e8e9667a8b.html