Comeback Powers 25th-Ranked Boilermakers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A second-half scoring surge helped the No. 25 Purdue soccer team erase a 2-0 halftime deficit to beat Minnesota 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Folk Field.
The Boilermakers (10-2-2, 5-1-0 Big Ten) trailed 2-0 after 41 minutes, but dominated a three-goal second half to beat the Golden Gophers (6-4-3, 2-4-0 Big Ten). The rally was started with a goal by sophomore midfielder Emily Mathews in the 64th minute, and an own goal tied the match at 2-2 in the 71st. The comeback was completed in the 85th minute as senior forward Sarah Griffith scored her 11th goal of the season.
Purdue’s 10-2-2 overall record and 5-1-0 Big Ten mark is its best since 2007. Ranked nationally for the first time since 2009, the Boilermakers have won two in a row and eight of their last nine and are second in the conference standings with 15 points.
“I thought our team showed tremendous resiliency today, being down 2-0 to a good Minnesota team,” Purdue coach Drew Roff said. “It was a lot to overcome, but I knew if we got that first goal, somewhat early in the half, we could get the momentum. I loved our mentality in the second half. We played a tempo, we played a pace and we moved the ball quickly. We had to send some numbers forward and take some chances, and it really paid off.”
Tied for the conference lead with 11 goals, Griffith ranks No. 4 in school history for goals in a season, and her 21 career scores is tied for seventh-most. The three game-winning goals is second in the conference and her eight career game-winners is No. 7 in the Purdue record books.
A Naperville, Illinois, native, Griffith has scored in five consecutive matches, tied for the second-longest streak in school history, with six goals in the stretch. She has at least one point in all six Big Ten contests, the second-longest point streak in team history.
“Sarah Griffith, they did a good job defending her all match, but someone like Sarah, she stays in it, she stays locked in, and it’s just a matter of time,” Roff said. “For her to get that goal was very fitting, but all in all just a great performance in that second half. Our team really showed their character and showed what they’re made of, and they did a tremendous job finding a way.”
Senior goalkeeper Marisa Bova made five saves, with three in the second half as the Boilermakers rallied. She earned her 10th win of the year, ninth-most all-time.
The dramatic victory came on Senior Day, after Purdue’s nine seniors were honored on the field before the game.
“Being Senior Day, I thought it was fitting that we had some tremendous performances from that group,” Roff added. “Sidney Duarte really stood out to me as somebody who was able to win the ball for us, attack space on dribble and put Minnesota on their heels. She had a tremendous game for us and stepped up when we really needed her.”
Griffith had a game-best five shots and three shots on goal. Mathews added two shots, both on target, as she scored her fifth goal of the season and fourth in Big Ten play. She is second on the team with 13 points.
The Boilermakers had a 10-8 edge in shots and a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. As Bova made five saves, the Purdue defense cleared a ball off the line in the first half. The Golden Gopher keeper stopped three shots.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute, as Sophia Boman scored on a penalty kick. A foul was called at the edge of the 18-yard box, which resulted in the opportunity at 16:49. The visitors extended their lead to 2-0 at 40:12, as Christa Van Loon scored from Maddie Baker.
Purdue was out-shot 5-2 in the first 45 minutes, and UM had a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Boilermakers had an aggressive start to the second half, which fueled the rally and resulted in an 8-3 edge in shots. They had six shots on goal to Minnesota’s two.
Mathews cut the deficit in half to make it 2-1 at 63:01. On the far side near the touchline, freshman forward Gracie Dunaway sent a pass into the box to Mathews near the penalty spot. The ball bounced off Mathews’ chest and went towards the far corner of the six-yard box, where she sent a right-footed shot across the goal box and into the bottom-left corner of the net.
The assist is Dunaway’s team-best sixth of the season, tied for No. 2 by a freshman in team history and tied for fourth-most in the Big Ten.
An own goal by the Golden Gophers tied the game at 2-2 at 70:08. The play began with Griffith near the sideline, and she sent a ball towards the center of the penalty box. Her cross met a UM defender, who headed the ball into the net while attempting to send the ball over the crossbar.
Griffith’s heroics gave Purdue a 3-2 lead at 84:38. On the far side of the 18-yard box, senior midfielder Teagan Jones centered the ball to Griffith near the top of the penalty arc. Griffith dribbled once to her right and fired a strike with her right foot through the box into the left side of the goal, past several defenders and a diving UM keeper.
Jones collected the assist, her second this year.
Up next, Purdue takes to the road for the final time in the regular season next week, with contests at Ohio State and Penn State. The trip begins in Columbus on Thursday, October 14, at 7 p.m. ET.