Kentucky Battles Purdue to 1-1 Draw in Season Opener

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In the 2021 season opener, the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team battled Purdue to a 1-1 draw on Thursday night at Folk Field in West Lafayette, Indiana. 

Purdue applied pressure early on with five shots in the opening 20 minutes, but a strong UK backline prevented the Boilermakers from taking an early lead.

Kentucky was fast and physical on the offense throughout the first half, going up 1-0 in the 30th minute. Through a pair of Boilermaker defenders at the top of the 18-yard box, Jordyn Rhodes connected with Hannah Richardson, who sent a shot just out of Purdue goalkeeper’s reach and into the bottom left corner of the net. 

Kentucky struck quickly coming out of the break, but Rhodes’ header in an attempt to double its lead in the 47th minute went straight into the gloves of Marisa Bova. The Boilermakers responded a minute later with the equalizer, as Sarah Griffith found the top right corner.

At the end of regulation, UK held a slight 7-6 edge over Purdue in shots while the Boilermakers had an advantage in scoring off set pieces with a 4-2 lead in corners.

The Wildcats made their presence known on the pitch in the first overtime period, firing off three shots to Purdue’s one. Olivia Simmons gave the Boilermakers a strong chance to break the tie in the 97th minute, but Wildcat goalkeeper Laura Nielsen came through with a big save.

UK’s best scoring chance in the second overtime frame came from Úlfa Úlfarsdóttir in the 102nd minute but was denied by Marisa Bova, who finished the game with six saves. A last-minute shot attempt by Griffith in the final seconds of the match was once again rejected by Nielsen, marking her sixth save in her Kentucky debut. 

The Wildcats return to Lexington on Sunday, Aug. 22 as they host Marshall at the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex for the home opener at 5 p.m. ET.   

For the latest on the Kentucky women’s soccer program, follow @UKWomensSoccer on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook, and on the web at UKathletics.com.