Women’s Soccer: Strong second half dooms Panthers
Eastern women’s soccer coach Tim Nowak thought his team played pretty well in the first half on Tuesday night.
After all, the Panthers were trailing by only one goal to No. 25 Purdue.
However, Eastern’s defense fell apart in the second half, which lead to a 5-1 loss at the Varsity Soccer Complex in West Lafayette, Ind., and an 0-2 start to the season.
“We were able to put a lot of pressure on them from an attacking standpoint in the first half,” Nowak said. “Unfortunately, they came out in the second half and scored two quick goals and we had to play catch-up. Against a good team that’s very difficult to do.”
Purdue freshman midfielder Alexis Tryba and senior forward Felicia Schroeder scored consecutive goals 50 seconds apart in the second half, making the score 3-0 in the 56th minute.
Schroeder’s goal came on a header off of a corner kick.
Freshman midfielder Ashley Eck scored the lone goal for the Panthers in the 64th minute, a header off of a one-timer on a corner kick from junior midfielder Alexis Miller that made the score 4-1.
“I was just making a run to the near post and the ball went over the goalie’s head, and I was able to deflect it in,” Eck said of her first goal in her collegiate career. Eck had one shot on goal in the Panthers’ season opener against Indiana State.
The Boilermakers got the scoring started early when freshman midfielder Kellie Phillips scored on a rebound off of her initial shot.
Purdue finished the night with 39 shots, the highest total in program history.
The Panthers had an opportunity to tie the game late in the first half when sophomore midfielder Sarah Rusk got a shot off from the top of the 18-yard box.
However, Boilermakers’ junior goalkeeper and Hermann Trophy contender Jenny Bradfisch made the stop, her lone save of the night.
Eastern attempted just five shots for the second consecutive game.
“It was their home opener, and they were primed to get the win,” Nowak said. “They’re a very good team and very well coached. We made some mistakes, and they were able to capitalize off of them.”
Purdue junior forward Loredana Riverso, the Boilermakers’ leading scorer last season, was one of three Purdue players to notch a goal and an assist, the others being Phillips and Schroeder.
Junior goalkeeper Jenny Williams started in goal for the Panthers and allowed four goals while making eight saves in 70 minutes.
Sophomore Kaylin Lorbert played the final 20 minutes in goal and made four saves while allowing one goal.
The Panthers travel to DeKalb this Friday for the Northern Illinois Tournament which runs Friday through Sunday.
They play the host Huskies at 4 p.m. on Friday and wrap up the tournament at 1 p.m. Sunday against Northern Iowa.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at
