WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Goals by a pair of seniors helped send the Purdue soccer team to a 2-0 victory over UIC on Sunday afternoon at Folk Field.
On a hot and sun-soaked day, senior midfielder Cloey Uddenberg scored in the 44th minute to give the Boilermakers (2-1-1) a 1-0 lead going into halftime and fellow senior midfielder Abigail Roy added an insurance goal in the 78th minute.
Purdue had 15 shots, seven on goal, and the Flames (1-2-0) were limited to five shots, one on target. The home side held an 8-5 advantage in corners.
Uddenberg’s goal is the first of her NCAA D-I career and her third overall, along with two at University of Guelph in 2022. It’s her first collegiate game-winning goal and the first points in her inaugural campaign as a Boilermaker. Junior forward Kayla Budish’s assist is the fifth of her career and her first in 2024. Roy’s goal is the second of her career, along with one in 2021.
Senior forward Lexi Fraley posted a game-high six shots and two shots on goal and junior forward Chiara Singarella had three shots, one on frame. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Edwards made one save and earned her second clean sheet in three starts this season. Her UIC counterpart made five saves.
Sunday’s game was Purdue’s third at home and first day game of the young campaign. UIC took to the road for the first time in 2024. It was the first time the Boilermakers and Flames had ever faced each other.
Fifth-year defender Mackenzie Jones and senior midfielder Lauren Meeks made their Boilermaker debuts when they came in as a first-half sub. Meeks totaled 49 minutes in the contest and Jones saw 34 minutes on the pitch.
The Boilermakers controlled possession for much of the opening third of the first half, and Singarella had the team’s first chance that was saved in the ninth minute. Less than 90 seconds later, the Boilermaker defense blocked the Flames’ first chance.
Singarella had another great opportunity in the 21st minute, on a centering cross in from senior midfielder Zoie Allen, but her shot from just outside the top of the 18 was barely above the crossbar. Three minutes later, a UIC shot went wide.
In the 30th minute, Fraley nearly found the back of the net from the left side on a chip over the keeper. However, the ball was deflected just enough and it hit off the post. Fraley’s chance came three minutes after she subbed into the game, and she had another opportunity saved two minutes after she hit the post.
Uddenberg’s goal gave Purdue a 1-0 lead two minutes before halftime at 43:00.
Budish had the ball on the right side outside the penalty area, dribbled around a defender towards the goal line and sent a perfectly-placed cross into the center of the six-yard box. The ball found Uddenberg, who headed it in from five yards out into the right side of the net. She beat the UIC keeper who had stayed on her line and had no time to react.
Purdue out-shot UIC 8-2 in the opening 45 minutes, with a 3-0 edge in shots on target. The Flames had three corners to the Boilermakers’ two.
The Flames had the first chance of the second half, which was wide in the 62nd minute, and senior forward Gracie Dunaway had a shot saved in the 65th minute as she tried to extend the advantage.
Two minutes after a UIC shot was forced wide, sophomore forward Lauren Omholt had a great opportunity in the 74th minute, but that was saved to set up a corner kick. Purdue could not find a shot on goal off the free kick.
The Boilermakers made it 2-0 at 77:09, as Roy scored on the counter-attack. Off a UIC corner kick, Omholt pressed the Flames defender inside the center circle. While UIC regained possession, Roy quickly came in and stole the ball and began her run from the visitors’ side of the halfway line. With Omholt to her left and two defenders trailing behind, Roy took the ball into the 18-yard box for a one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper. Just to the right of the penalty spot, Roy slotted the ball past the UIC keeper, who was six yards out, and into the left corner of the goal.
With a 2-0 lead, Purdue did not let up, and Fraley had two chances to make it 3-0 in the 80th and 81st minutes, but the first shot was high and the second saved.
Edwards made her only save of the contest in the 83rd minute, on a chance which ended up being the last for either team in the contest.
The home side had seven shots, four on goal, and the visitors had three shots, one on frame in the final 45 minutes. Purdue earned six corners and UIC had two.
After hosting a pair of teams from Chicago, the Boilermakers head to the Windy City to play another, as they face DePaul on Thursday, August 29, at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT. Then, Purdue is back home to conclude weekend No. 3 of the season against Dayton on Sunday, September 1, at 1 p.m. ET, for Senior Day and Alumnae Reunion Weekend at Folk Field.