WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (www.purduesports.com) – Indiana scored twice in the second half to overcome a 1-0 deficit, leaving Purdue women’s soccer regretting its numerous missed opportunities while creating 11 shots on goal in a 2-1 loss to the Hoosiers Thursday evening at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.

Indiana (12-4-1, 5-4-0 Big Ten) retained possession of the Golden Boot traveling trophy with its first true victory in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers (8-8-1, 3-6-0 Big Ten) lost possession of the Golden Boot for the first time last season and have now dropped back-to-back games to their No. 1 rival for the first time in program history.

Senior Jordan Frick scored her first goal of the season and third career in the 32nd minute to give Purdue a halftime lead. The Boilermakers put nine of their 13 first-half shots on goal, but IU goalkeeper Shannon Flower kept her team in the game by making eight of her career-high 10 saves in the opening 45 minutes.

Rebecca Candler scored the equalizer in the 69th minute with a shot into the top left corner of the net from a tight angle on the right side of the six-yard box. Monica Melink later accounted for the game-winner in the 81st minute when she deflected in a right-to-left cross off the foot of Candler.

The Hoosiers enjoyed an 8-4 edge in the shot count and held Purdue without a corner kick in the second half. The Boilermakers’ only notable scoring chance after IU took the lead was a dangerous left-to-right cross through the six-yard box off the foot of Hadley Stuart with about four minutes remaining.

Purdue had almost all of the quality scoring chances in the first half while enjoying a 13-7 edge in the shot count (9-4 in shots on goal).  The Boilermakers had two more shots on goal early in the second half but were unable to challenge Flower again after the 49th minute.

Stuart setup Frick’s goal for her team-leading 10th assist of the season, making the senior only the third player in program history to record a double-figure assist total in a season. She’s one helper shy of Shauna Stapleton’s single-season record from 2007.

Frick scored with a chip shot from the left flank near the top of the 18-yard box into the right side of the net. Frick had initially played the ball ahead to Stuart, who maintained possession and setup the scoring chance with a pass back to a wide open Frick. The defender has scored one goal in each of the last three seasons. It was her first career goal in Big Ten play.

Purdue goalkeeper Clara Kridler finished with seven saves, matching her season high for the second game in a row.

But it was Flower, Kridler’s high school teammate at Upper Arlington in suburban Columbus, Ohio, that single-handedly kept her team in the game. Flower had to make her first save less than 30 seconds into the game and already had tallied six saves by the 16th minute.

Flower made a diving save at the right post on a shot by Maddy Williams in the 11th minute, deflecting the ball wide right to give Purdue its first corner. In the 15th minute after the second of back-to-back corners for the Boilers, Flower was in good position to make a save on a well-struck shot by Stuart from the heart of the 18-yard box.

Flower would make two more good saves on shots by Stuart, including a 1-v-1 stop after Stuart broke through the IU back line in the 24th minute. Stuart wasn’t able to get much of an angle on her shot as she looked to give Purdue the lead, but Flower stood her ground and served as the last line of defense nonetheless.

Kridler had made a diving save to her right on a shot by Candler on what was IU’s first quality scoring chance less than a minute before Frick’s goal gave the Boilers the lead.

Melissa Casella, Mikayla Lasky, Kim Love and Stuart went the distance among the Purdue field players. Makaela Nellams logged 55 minutes to lead the reserves.

The Boilermakers return to action Sunday when they host Minnesota at 1 p.m. for their home finale. Purdue’s five seniors – Shae Desmond, Jordan Pawlik, Frick, Kridler and Stuart – will be recognized before the game for their contributions to the program.

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