Purdue Drops Hard-Fought Contest to Wake Forest
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In a match that featured several good opportunities for both teams, the Purdue soccer team lost to Wake Forest, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Folk Field in West Lafayette, Indiana.
On a warm and sun-soaked day, the Boilermakers (2-2-0) saw their two-game win streak snapped, while the Deamon Deacons (3-0-1) remained unbeaten in their last 20 non-conference games. Wake Forest found their goals in the 44th and 79th minutes, and while Purdue had good chances in the final third throughout the game, the Old Gold and Black could not get a goal.
In the first-ever matchup between the two programs, Purdue out-shot Wake Forest 12-10, though the visitors had the edge in shots on target, 7-4. The home team earned all five corner kicks in the contest. The Boilermakers were called for 12 fouls and the Deamon Deacons committed 14. Six yellow cards were issued, three to each side.
Freshman forward Lauren Omholt had a game-high four shots, one on goal. Senior midfielder Emily Mathews and sophomore forward Brooke Haarala, off the bench, each had three shots, one on target. Senior goalkeeper Charlotte Cyr had a season-high-tying five saves.
The Boilermakers had several good chances early, as Omholt had a pair of shots in the ninth and 10th minutes, though one was blocked and another was forced wide. Cyr made her first save two minutes later.
Mathews had a great opportunity in the 21st minute on a ball into the penalty area by Haarala, but it was saved. The Purdue defense then blocked a pair of shots.
Another chance by Mathews was blocked in the 31st minute, and Haarala had a pair of opportunities in the 36th minute, the first which was saved and the second, on the rebound, was sent high.
A Cyr save in the 42nd minute preceded Wake Forest’s first goal at 43:24. Carly Wilson scored from Nikayla Small.
Both teams had six shots in the first half and the visitors had a 3-2 edge in shots on target. Purdue had four corner kicks to Wake Forests’ zero and six fouls were called on each side.
Junior forward Gracie Dunaway registered the first shot of the second half, which was wide, and Cyr made her third save of the game in the 55th minute.
After more than 10 minutes of back-and-forth play that did not result in a shot for either team, Mathews had another great opportunity that went off the left post in the 69th minute, and Omholt had a shot blocked in the 72nd that came after a throw-in. She had another chance in the 76th minute off a free kick, but it was saved.
A foul was called inside the box on Purdue that resulted in a Wake Forest penalty shot at 78:38. Emily Murphy converted to extend the visitors’ lead to 2-0.
Purdue continued to look for a goal in the final 11-plus minutes, though Haarala had the only shot, which was wide. Cyr added two more saves, her fourth and fifth of the game.
The Boilermakers out-shot the Deamon Deacons 6-4 in the second half, but all four of Wake Forest’s shots went on target and Purdue was held to two on frame. The home side had one corner in the half.
Up next, the Boilermakers take to the road for the first time in 2023 with a trip to No. 24 USC and Colorado. The weekend begins in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 31, at 6 p.m. ET, as Purdue faces its future Big Ten foe. The trip concludes in Boulder on September 3 at 2 p.m. ET.