University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
9-2-3
Purdue
9-4-1
Gophers Shutout Purdue 2-0 At ELR
10/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 8, 2017
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In front of a packed house, the University of Minnesota soccer team captured their fifth straight win with a 2-0 win over the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
The Gophers scored a pair of goals in the second half by their two leading scorers, and shutout a Big Ten opponent for the first time this season.
"We are really happy with the result today," head coach Stefanie Golan said after the game. "Coming into this one with two really good teams that have good goal scorers and for us to put two away and to also shut them out is huge for our team moving forward."
Senior Sydney Squires scored just three minutes into the second half on a fantastic finish inside the box. Her first attempted was blocked, but the Big Ten scoring leader kept at it and fired another shot that went off a Purdue defender and ended up in the back of the net.
Sydney Squires scores her 30th career goal versus Purdue pic.twitter.com/kIWMSgTnar
-- Minnesota Soccer (@GopherSoccer) October 8, 2017
Squires now has five game-winning goals for the Maroon and Gold this season, that is tied for the second most in program history in a single season. She needs just one more to tie the season record which is held by four different players including Squires teammate in 2015, Simone Kolander.
The second goal came just over thirty minutes later. Senior Julianna Gernes scored the goal on a corner kick for the Gophers that was taken by April Bockin. Bockin sent the ball in to the crowded box where junior Emily Heslin then sent a header across the middle of the box that eventually found Gernes' foot for the goal that gave the Gophers some breathing room.
The goal for Gernes gives her seven for the season, which puts her at a career-high for goals in a single season, eclipsing her 2016 campaign where she scored six.
Bockin's assist on the goal raises her season total to 11, which is tops in the Big Ten and the NCAA.
Gernes goal gives Gophers 2-0 lead over Purdue pic.twitter.com/hJTkBZgQKD
-- Minnesota Soccer (@GopherSoccer) October 8, 2017
"We had to make some adjustments today," Golan said. "They were playing back for much of the first half, and our kids executed our adjustments to a T in the second half."
The Gophers allowed just five shots in the game, and only one was on goal. Kailee Sharp made that one save, and the Minnesota defense stood tall against the third rated offense in the Big Ten.
Tori Burnett came up big in the 15th minute when she poked a ball away from a defender who had a clear look at the net, Burnett and the Gophers still own the title for fewest shots allowed and shots on goal allowed in the Big Ten.
0-0 | 15'- What a stop by Tori Burnett after Purdue gets a solid chance. She blocks it and forces a corner kick for Purdue. pic.twitter.com/66gODxgDrL
-- Minnesota Soccer (@GopherSoccer) October 8, 2017
"A shutout was a long time coming for this group," Golan said. "One of the things we pride ourselves in is starting out defending with our forwards. Even though we keep the ball for long periods of time, our backs and our keeper do a fantastic job at staying tuned in and staying compact and together to make it so hard to break them down."
Minnesota kept the pressure on for much of the game, earning seven corner kicks and increased their shot total in the second half from five in the first to nine in the second.
The Maroon and Gold now will take a long trip to Illinois for a pair of games in the Land of Lincoln. The Gophers will take on Northwestern on Thursday Oct. 12 at 8:00 p.m., and then will travel down to Champaign to take on Illinois on Oct. 15 at 1:00 p.m.
As the Gophers head back on the road, make sure to follow the Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Team Stats
Squires, Sydney (13)
GOAL by MINN Squires, Sydney (FIRST GOAL), goal number 13 for season.
48:08
Gernes, Julianna (7)
Assisted By: Heslin, Emily , Bockin, April
GOAL by MINN Gernes, Julianna, Assist by Heslin, Emily and Bockin, April, goal number 7 for season.
79:54
