WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (www.purduesports.com) – Maddy Williams scored twice for the second Friday in a row and Hadley Stuart assisted on a program-record three goals as Purdue women’s soccer defeated Northern Illinois, 4-1, Friday evening in a game that featured two lengthy delays due to lightning.

The Boilermakers (2-1) have now scored 12 goals in their first three games, their most over a three-game stretch since late in the 2007 season. November 2007 also marked the last time Purdue scored three-plus goals in three consecutive games. The 12 scores is also the program’s most ever over the first three games of a new season.

Originally slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff, the game did not get underway until about 8:25 p.m. due to multiple 30-minute lightning delays. In the 73rd minute, play was halted again due to lightning within 10 miles of the Boilermaker Soccer Complex. Purdue led 3-1 at the time, but Northern Illinois (1-1) wanted to finish the game. After a nearly two-hour delay that featured rain and hail, the weather cleared enough for play to resume at about 11:30 p.m. and the game was completed.

Williams was unable to finish off two early scoring chances but the freshman later scored twice in a span of one minute and 15 seconds in the first half to give the Boilers a 2-0 edge.

Chinyelu Asher and Stuart scored for Purdue in the second half. Asher’s second goal of the season (eighth career) gave the Boilers a two-goal lead back after NIU got on the board with a header goal from Lauren Noonan off a free kick in the 50th minute.

Before scoring her second goal of 2013 (ninth career) to cap the scoring in the 75th minute, Stuart became the first player in program history to help setup three scores for teammates in the same game. There had been numerous two-assist efforts by Boilers over the years – Alex Hairston recorded her fourth career two-assist game Friday, the most in program history – but never an assist trifecta. Stuart has assisted on six of Purdue’s first 12 goals this year.

An impressive display of dribbling by Stuart setup Williams’ first score in the 19th minute. She advanced the ball through the NIU defense up the right flank on a run vertical to the end line. Finally she made a short connection to Hairston, whose initial shot was stopped by NIU goalkeeper Amy Carr. Williams pounced on the rebound and buried an easy put back chance from the edge of the six-yard box.

Stuart connected a longer pass up the left flank to Williams for the second goal. Williams scored from the top of the 18-yard box with a diagonal shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

Another long pass up the left flank from Stuart to Williams set the stage for Asher’s goal in the 59th minute. Williams maintained possession long enough for Asher to move into position in the heart of the 18-yard box and the junior converted after gaining possession of a short left-to-right cross.

Stuart’s goal was scored on a tap in near the right post after Carr again made an initial save on a shot attempt by Hairston.

Not only did NIU score on its set piece chance early in the second half, but the Huskies also nearly scored again on a similar restart in the 82nd minute. During a lengthy scramble, one shot went off the right post and a follow up attempt was knocked down in front of the net by a Purdue player.

Mollie Kuramoto also hit the post for the Boilermakers earlier in the game in the 27th minute. The rebound caromed to Hairston but Carr was able to make the save.

Melissa Casella, Jordan Frick, Holly Gregory, and Jordan Pawlik went the distance among the Purdue field players. Makaela Nellams logged 49 minutes to lead the reserves.

The Boilermakers return to action Sunday for a 2 p.m. ET game at Kansas.

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