Purdue Fort Wayne
Denver
Women's Soccer Hosts Nationally Ranked Pioneers
10/2/2013 9:52:00 PM | Women's Soccer
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW Mastodons will look to snap out of their current seven-match losing skid on Saturday evening, as the squad hosts the nationally ranked Denver Pioneers in the first match of a women's / men's doubleheader at the Hefner Soccer Complex.
Opponent: #16 Denver Pioneers (9-1-1)
When: Saturday, October 5 | 5 p.m. EST
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex (2,500)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Live Stats: IPFW Sidearm Live Stats
PINK OUT
Today's women's / men's doubleheader is Pink Out, with proceeds from the silent auction which is taking place by the entrance, along with the sales of pink ribbons, will go to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
ABOUT IPFW
The IPFW Mastodons look to snap out of their current seven-match losing skid tonight against the Denver Pioneers.
In the team's last game, a 2-0 loss to in-state rival Indiana State, the Mastodons out-shot the Sycamores 20-to-17, and led in corner kicks 8-to-3; however, the Sycamores were efficient with their shots, putting two into the back of the net.
The first goal came in the 25th minute of the game, before Indiana State added an insurance score with just over six minutes remaining on the game clock. Delia Soucie had a team-high seven shots, while Tessa Edwards had five, and Gaby Romo four.
On the season, the Mastodons are led by freshman midfielder Romo's two goals, as Brooke Bishir and Hailey Mariotti have each scored one goal apiece. Three players - Delia Soucie, Lazzerini, and Erin Gill - each have one assist for the Mastodons. Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Sam Pavlika has a 1.86 goals against average with 50 saves, as she has played all 917-plus minutes between the pipes for the Mastodons.
ABOUT DENVER
The 16th ranked (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Denver comes into the match with a 9-1-1 record, the only blemishes on the record coming via a 1-1 tie with TCU, and a 2-1 loss against current No. 23 Nebraska. The Pioneers have picked up wins against No. 22 BYU and Colorado, who is receiving votes.
In the team's last match, a 2-1 win at UC Santa Barbara, the Pioneers scored first and last in the match, the first goal coming in the 17th minute when Nicholette Digiacomo found Brooke Boothe, who lofted a shot over the goalkeeper, before Sam Harder converted a penalty kick in the 75th minute for the game-winning goal, her first of the season.
Leading the team offensively this season is senior Kristen Hamilton, who has seven goals, six assists, and 20 total points. Her 118 career points are fifth most among active players across all of NCAA Division I. Digiacomo has scored five times, while Anna Willis, Brooke Boothe, and Harder have each scored twice. Digiacomo, Willis, and Cassidy Larson each have two assists for the Pioneers. In goal, freshman Cassidy Rey has a 0.65 goals against average in just over 825 minutes, with 51 saves and four shutouts.
ALL-TIME SERIES
This is the first time that IPFW and Denver have met on the soccer pitch, as this season is also the first for Denver as a member of the Summit League.
QUICK HITTERS
• The last time someone other than Sam Pavlika has been in goal for IPFW was October 30, 2011, as the sophomore spent all 1,763-plus minutes of last season in goal, and in the first four regular season matches of the 2013 season she spent all 917:14 between the pipes.
• Head Coach Margaret Saurin's 31 career wins are second most in IPFW history, behind only Terry Stefankiewicz' 36.
• Five different players (Kat Sutherly, Kiley Dunning, Rachel Good, Kennedy Williams, and Kathryn Jenkins) are the first players in program history to wear their respective numbers.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
