WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (www.purduesports.com) – Maddy Williams posted her third career multi-goal game and Alex Hairston setup two scores to tie the Purdue women’s soccer all-time assists record as the Boilermakers defeated Ohio State, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex.

Purdue (5-2-1, 1-1 Big Ten) topped the Buckeyes (4-4, 1-1 Big Ten) for the third time in the last four years.

Williams scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute after also opening the scoring in the 33rd minute. Makaela Nellams’ first collegiate goal in the 89th minute assured the Boilers of victory.

Hairston assisted on Williams’ first goal and Nellams’ marker, giving her 22 career assists to tie Lauren Sesselmann’s program record. Hairston posted her sixth career multi-assist effort, extending her team benchmark.

Williams scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season, pushing her career total to 15 in 26 games. Each of her three multi-goal efforts has come at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex. She became the first Purdue player to score twice in a Big Ten game since Kellie Phillips posted a hat trick in an October 2011 win against Indiana.

Christa Szalach’s flip throw-in from the west sideline setup Williams’ goal in the 81st minute that broke a 1-1 stalemate. The ball caromed through a challenge near the left edge of the 18-yard box as a player from both teams went up to head the ball. It came to Williams in the heart of the 18-yard box. She took one touch, pushing the ball left with her inner thigh. The ball bounced once in the six-yard box and she finished with a shot inside the left post.

Hairston’s right-to-left cross from the west sideline setup Williams’ first goal of the day in the 33rd minute. This time Williams used one touch to move past the nearest OSU defender, scoring with a ground shot into the bottom left corner of the net.

Nellams became the fifth Boilermaker to score her first collegiate goal this year. A right-to-left passing sequence from Hairston to Williams to Nellams setup the junior with a clear shooting lane on OSU goalkeeper Megan Geldernick. Nellams scored from the heart of the 18-yard box with a shot into the right side of the net.

Ohio State equalized late in the first half on Lindsay Agnew’s first goal of the season. In the 41st minute, she scored from 25 yards out on the left flank with a shot that bounced near the left post and short hopped goalkeeper Erika Yohn. Agnew fired quickly following gaining possession after the ball was initially headed away from the 18-yard box by a Purdue defender.

The evenly played matched featured the Boilers’ holding a 15-13 edge in the shot count and both teams having seven corner kick opportunities.

Following a scramble on Purdue’s third corner, OSU defender Ashley Gruenbaum had to make a team save at the left post on a shot by Mollie Kuramoto in the 36th minute.

Three minutes later, Yohn made her best save of the day with a quick reaction deflection of a shot by Sammy Edwards, redirecting the shot over the crossbar. Yohn was also in good position to make a save at the right post in the 21st minute on a point blank shot by Edwards. The freshman ‘keeper finished with three saves.

Holly Gregory, Mikayla Lasky, Kim Love, Vanessa Korolas and Kuramoto went the distance among the Purdue field players. Nicole Robertson logged 51 minutes to lead the reserves.

The Boilermakers return to action Friday for an 8 p.m. game at Northwestern.

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