Penn State women’s soccer (5-3-3, 3-2-1 Big Ten) tied with Purdue (10-2-1, 4-1-1 Big Ten) 2-2 on Saturday evening.

A second-half goal from Penn State forward Aubrey Kulpa kept the Nittany Lions undefeated at home this season.

How It Happened

Purdue started the game as the aggressors, taking a shot off a corner inside the box in just the third minute. The shot was high and off target.

Things got a little chippy early on as well, with Penn State midfielder Molly Martin getting a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct in the sixth minute.

The Nittany Lions had a golden opportunity to get on the board 15 minutes in as Kulpa got the ball around the Boilermaker goalkeeper, but was then fouled on the shot by goalkeeper Krystina Wolf.

Forward Paige Kalal lined up and nailed the penalty kick into the bottom right of the goal to give Penn State the lead.

A few minutes after the goal, Purdue midfielder Maalouf Rosa fouled Nittany Lion goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress on a save attempt. Grace spent a couple of minutes on the ground before getting back up to take the goal kick.

Fouls plagued Purdue all half; it had five fouls before the halfway mark of the half even hit, compared to Penn State’s one.

Despite this, the Boilermakers were still able to tie it up in the 28th minute. Off an assist from Rosa, midfielder Megan Santa Cruz sent the ball past Gress to the bottom right of the net with her right foot.

Both teams were neck-and-neck going into halftime. Penn State controlled the ball for a majority of the first half, but Purdue’s aggressiveness kept them in the game and evened the playing field for them.

The Nittany Lions had the chance to retake the lead a few minutes into the second half, but the Boilermaker defense remained composed and stopped the attack.

In the 52nd minute, Purdue’s forward Jordan Anderson drew a foul just outside the box, setting up a free kick. This resulted in a wide-open header that didn’t have enough on it, and Penn State cleared the ball out of the box.

At just about the half point of the half, Anderson received the ball at midfield and was able to dribble past three Penn State defenders. She shot and scored from outside the box, skying the ball over the out-reaching hands of Gress to take the lead.

Moments later, Kulpa was fouled outside the box. The free kick resulted in a shot for forward Anna Babcock, but Wolf made the diving save to keep Purdue’s lead.

Frustration began to set in after this, as Penn State defender Lily Boyden received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct just a minute after the saved shot.

The Nittany Lions were able to move past this with an attack from Kulpa in the 66th minute. She took the ball down the right-hand side of the field, crossed the ball over to the middle, and sent the ball into the bottom left corner to tie up the game again. Midfielder Emma Johnson made the assist.

With 15 minutes left, Purdue’s McKenzie Carle intercepted a pass and took a shot on the open net. Gress ran all the way back and was able to dive on top of the ball, preventing a goal.

Both teams tried all they could to take the lead at the end of the game, but Gress, Wolf, and both defenses prevented either team from making it over the hump and securing the final victory. The match ended in a tie.

Takeaways

• Penn State has not lost to Purdue since 2003 and has never lost to them at home. The tie game continues that streak.
• Aubrey Kulpa continues her dominance as she gets her team-leading sixth goal and 15th point.
• There were a combined 26 fouls committed in tonight’s matchup, with plenty of cards in the mix as well. The Boilermakers contributed 17 to the total, making tonight’s game a feisty one.
• Nine different Nittany Lions attempted a shot, pointing to the team’s advancements in offensive production.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions head west to Eugene, Oregon, to take on the Oregon Ducks at 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. This will be the start of a two-game road trip on the West Coast, and the game will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.