WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (www.purduesports.com) – Thanks to goals from Hadley Stuart and Jordan Pawlik, Purdue women’s soccer held the lead twice, but West Virginia scored an equalizer in the 88th minute and the teams settled for a 2-2 draw Sunday afternoon in front of a record-size crowd at the Varsity Soccer Complex.

The Boilermakers (4-2-1) played their third overtime game of the season, but it was the team’s first draw since September of last year versus Iowa. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers (2-3-3) played in a fourth straight overtime game since defeating then No. 1-ranked Stanford on Aug. 26. It was WVU’s third consecutive draw.

Both goalkeepers played significant roles in the game ending in a draw. Purdue’s Clara Kridler made seven saves, one shy of her career high, highlighted by three impressive 1-v-1 stops. Her sliding stop of Kelsie Maloney’s shot in the 108th minute preserved the draw. West Virginia’s Sara Keane was not tested as often as Kridler but still made arguably the most significant play of the game when she made a diving save on a penalty kick opportunity for Pawlik in the 64th minute. Pawlik had just scored two minutes earlier to give Purdue a 2-1 lead.

The Mountaineers tied the game in the 88th minute on Kate Schwindel’s team-leading fourth goal of the season. Jess Crowder played a long lead pass to the top of the 18-yard box and Schwindel was able to shoot the ball inside the right post before Kridler could close off the shooting angle and space.

West Virginia’s two goals matched the number the Boilers had surrendered in their first five home games of the season.

Alex Hairston assisted on both Purdue scores for her third consecutive multi-assist game. She now leads the team with six helpers. She setup Hadley Stuart’s third goal of the season, and sixth career, in the 42nd minute as well as Pawlik’s go-ahead tally after WVU had initially equalized in the 53rd minute. Emma Lancaster also assisted on Pawlik’s score. Hairston is the first player in program history to have three multi-assist games in the same season, much less accomplishing the feat in three consecutive games.

The record crowd of 1,344 fans was due in part to a pregame tailgate and recreational activities on the practice field that coincided with it being Greater Lafayette Recreational Soccer Alliance day at the Varsity Soccer Complex.

The Boilermakers initially believed they took the lead in the 23rd minute when Pawlik scored off a rebound following a free kick and a Marta Lynch header that forced Keane to make a save. But the linesman ruled Purdue was offsides when the ball was served in from 40 yards out in the center of the field after a yellow card on WVU center back Mallory Smith setup the set piece opportunity.

Kridler made a pair of 1-v-1 saves in the first nine minutes of the game, stopping shots from the right wing by Frances Silva on both occasions. She also made a diving save to her right on a shot near the left post by Kara Blosser in the 49th minute.

Stuart scored from an acute angle on the right flank in the 42nd minute to give Purdue a halftime lead. Her diagonal shot found its way into the back left corner of the net.

Maloney accounted for WVU’s first equalizer, opening the second-half scoring in the 53rd minute with a shot from the heart of the 18-yard box inside the left post after a right-to-left cross from Silva.

Pawlik scored into the bottom right corner of the net after Hairston connected a right-to-left cross to her teammate in the 18-yard box. It was her team-leading sixth goal of the year in her first season at Purdue. She also joined Hairston as Boilers to score in back-to-back games this year.

Melissa Casella, Jordan Frick, Kim Love, Jessica Warren and Stuart went the distance among the Purdue field players. Hairston (104), Pawlik (98) and Lynch (92) also logged 90-plus minutes. Chinyelu Asher played 38 minutes off the bench to lead the reserves.

The Boilermakers conclude their five-game homestand Wednesday against Central Michigan. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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