Soccer Drops Heartbreaker to Purdue

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Sooners hard luck and offensive struggles continued as they fell 1-0 to Purdue at John Crain Field on Friday.

The Boilermakers' Eyorokon Parrissa netted the game winner in the 21st minute as they won their fourth consecutive game to improve to 5-1 on the season. The Sooners fell to 1-4, despite creating several scoring opportunities on Purdue's side of the field.

“Its obviously disappointing to be 1-4 at this point in the year,” said head coach Randy Evans. “In every game this season, we have created enough scoring chances to win the game. The only rewarding thing about tonight's game is that we did it (created chances) against a quality opponent. Purdue is a very good team.”

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Senior Savannah Scott and junior Tenesha Duncan led the Sooner offense with two shots apiece. For the fifth consecutive game, Oklahoma was outshot by its opponent. Purdue, led by Eyorokon five shots, held a 9-8 edge in the shot column.

The Sooners did hold a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks and had a goal called back in the second half after a close offside call. In the 53rd minute, OU freshman Daphne Fitzpatrick and Scott executed a pair of nicely played passes in the Purdue box that set up Duncan for the score, but just as the ball hit the back of the net, the flag went up for the offsides call.

Purdue's goalkeeper, Lauren Mason (5-1-1), was solid in stopping back-to-back shots off Scott's foot in the first half. She finished with five saves opposite OU's Jennifer Nichols (1-4), who recorded four stops in the game.

Friday's game was the first regular season meeting between the two teams, but the Sooners defeated the Boilermakers in preseason action a year ago in the IPFW Classic.

Oklahoma, who has lost two games at home this season after going 9-1 a year ago in Norman, will look to rebound when they return to action against Stephen F. Austin (3-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at John Crain Field. The Ladyjacks defeated ORU earlier on Friday, 1-0, in Norman.

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