Boilermakers Score Early & Often in 5-0 Win
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (www.purduesports.com) – Hadley Stuart and Maddy Williams both had an impact on three goals as Purdue women’s soccer surged ahead early and cruised to a season-opening 5-0 win against Akron Friday evening at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.
Xavier also posted a shutout win Friday on the opening day of the four-team Boilermaker Challenge Cup, defeating North Dakota, 3-0. Purdue and Xavier will play Sunday at 2 p.m. in the championship game of the tournament. Akron will take on North Dakota Sunday at 11 a.m. in the consolation match.
Chinyelu Asher opened the scoring only 68 seconds after kickoff. Stuart setup that goal as well as the first of Williams’ two first-half scores. Last weekend in a preseason exhibition game against Louisville, it was Williams that scored only two minutes and 34 seconds into the game.
Mollie Kuramoto scored the game’s lone second-half goal Friday, her first score since October 2011 after the midfielder missed all of 2012 due to a knee injury.
Purdue’s five goals were its most since matching a program record with eight in an October 2011 home win against Indiana. The Boilermakers last scored five goals in a season-opening win in 2009 (vs. Ohio). Defensively, Purdue posted a shutout in its season opener for the third year in a row. All three goalkeepers – Clara Kridler, Caitlyn McCullough and Jordan Ginther – saw action in the victory.
Stuart posted her second career multi-assist game and scored in a season opener for the second year in a row. She found the back of the net in 20th minute off a side-footed assist from Williams.
Asher’s seventh collegiate goal was scored point blank at the left post after a right-to-left cross along the goal line by Stuart.
Stuart’s eighth career goal was created in part by a nice piece of dribbling through the right side of the 18-yard box. Her diagonal shot hit the bottom of the left post and deflected into the net.
Williams scored in the 30th and 37th minutes, joining Jordan Pawlik, Asher and Stuart as active Boilers with multi-goal games. On the first goal, Stuart’s lead pass setup a breakaway opportunity up the right flank. Akron goalkeeper Klaire Adee made the initial save at the right post, but Williams remained composed and blasted the rebound volley into the net.
Seven minutes later, Williams won possession as she, the ball and two Akron players came together near the top of the 18-yard box. She scored into a wide open net after Taylor Niewoit helped setup the sequence. The freshman became the first Boiler to post a multi-goal game in a season opener since Katie Seeger in 2009.
Kuramoto scored off an assist from Alex Hairston in the 53rd minute. A long right-to-left cross found its way through the heart of the 18-yard box and Kuramoto finished off the sequence on the backside of the play, scoring with a shot that deflected in off the left post.
Purdue’s 11-player freshman class played much of the second half. Christa Szalach was denied a goal in her collegiate debut in the 73rd minute when an Akron defender made a team save at the left post.
The Boilermakers were without sophomore center back Kim Love, who played every minute of the 2012 season, due to a minor leg injury. Pawlik started alongside Holly Gregory at center back and freshman Megan Kaser got an opportunity to start at outside back. Melissa Casella, Gregory and Pawlik each logged 63 minutes to lead the team. Soraya Toppin-Herbert played 45 minutes to lead the reserves.
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