Ezurike Strikes Three Times to Push U-M Past Purdue

Sunday, October 16

West Lafayette, Ind.

1:00 PM

Michigan

9-5-2, 4-3-1Big Ten

Purdue

6-9-2, 3-4-1Big Ten

MICHIGAN

Purdue

10/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Brad Rudner

Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Varsity Soccer Complex)
Score: Michigan 3, Purdue 1
Records: U-M (9-5-2, 4-3-1 Big Ten), Purdue (6-9-2, 3-4-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 443
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 21 -- vs. Ohio State - Maize Out (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Sophomore Nkem Ezurike (Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia/Sackville) netted the ninth hat trick in school history, helping the University of Michigan women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory at Purdue on Sunday (Oct. 16) at the Varsity Soccer Complex.

Nkem Ezurike

Ezurike becomes the seventh player in school history to record a hat trick -- the program's first since 2005 -- joining former Wolverines Jamie Artsis (Sept. 26, 2004), Abby Crumpton (Oct. 12, 2001, Sept. 27, 2002), Kacy Beitel (Oct. 17, 1997, Oct. 30, 2000), Ruth Poulin (Oct. 17, 1997), Marie Spaccarotella (Nov. 31, 1996) and Therese Heaton (Sept. 16, 2005). Ezurike now has 10 goals on the season, surpassing the total from her freshman year last season (nine). Additionally, she has scored the team's last six goals, a stretch that started back on Sept. 30 against Iowa.

Ezurike, who sat out Wednesday's game against Michigan State due to receiving five yellow cards on the season, broke the scoreless tie in the 63rd minute when she blasted a shot from 20 yards out that found the back of the net inside the left post. Freshman Chloe Sosenko (South Lyon, Mich./Brighton) was credited with an assist, her third of the season.

In the 81st minute, Ezurike scored her second goal when she fired a shot from the left flank on the edge of the 18-yard box to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Tori McCombs (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) was given the assist. Five minutes later, Ezurike capped the Wolverines' scoring with her third and final goal, bending a shot over the head of Purdue goalkeeper Cara Kridler. Freshman Jen Pace (Valley Village, Calif./Notre Dame) recorded the first points of her collegiate career with the assist.

Senior/junior goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) allowed a Purdue goal with just minutes remaining in the game but corralled four saves in net to preserve the win. She made a diving save to her left that maintained the 1-0 lead in the second half.

Michigan returns to U-M Soccer Stadium for its final homestand of the season next weekend, first taking on archrival Ohio State on Friday (Oct. 21) at 7 p.m. The game has been designated as a Maize Out. The game can also been seen live through the all-access player on MGoBlue.com for a fee.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	0	3	3
Purdue	0	1	1

Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Nkem Ezurike, 62:34 (Chloe Sosenko)
2nd -- U-M, Ezurike, 80:13 (Tori McCombs)
2nd -- U-M, Ezurike, 85:44 (Jen Pace)
2nd -- PUR, Kellie Phillips, 86:57 (Hadley Stuart)

Shots: U-M 17, PUR 13
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, PUR 5
Saves: U-M 4 (Haley Kopmeyer), PUR 1 (Cara Kridler)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, PUR 6
Cards: None

NOTES

• The win snapped a two-game losing streak.

• Ezurike became the second player to ever get a hat trick at Purdue's Varsity Soccer Complex. Nebraska forward Morgan Marlborough had one last month against the Boilermakers.

• Michigan improves to 7-3-3 all-time against Purdue.

• The win was Michigan's first in West Lafayette since Oct. 8, 2004 (W, 1-0).

• Chloe Sosenko made her third straight start on Sunday, playing the spot vacated by Meghan Toohey. Sosenko has four starts on the season.

• It was Michigan's fifth road win of the season. The Wolverines had not won five road games in a season since 2004.

• Jen Pace became the 12th different player to record at least one point with her assist on Ezurike's third goal.

• Michigan is 8-0-1 when it scores first.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Greg Ryan
On the importance of this game ... "This was a must-win for us if we wanted to stay in the Big Ten Tournament hunt. This win gives us the confidence to go forward in our final three games against some very good teams. Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois are among the best this conference has to offer, so getting this win under our belt was critical."

On Nkem Ezurike ... "It took Nkem a half to get her feet back in the game. At halftime, I told her that she could beat these players all by herself. Maybe she listened, maybe she did it anyway. On three different occasions, she took the players on, took the shot and scored goals. And they were highlight-reel goals, with two of them left-footed. She was amazing today."

On the team's overall performance ... "Those were the two best halves of soccer we played all season. We played well in the first half but couldn't put any of those chances away. We did in the second half, both sides of the ball, defending and attacking. It was the best we've been all year. Purdue is a good team. They don't have many weak spots. They scored eight goals against Indiana recently, and beat Ohio State, so we expected a tight game. I'm very happy we got this one."

U-M Senior Kristen Goncalves
On the win ... "It was so important for us to get this win. Our team was pretty down after the last two games. We had a talk yesterday about how important it would be for us to play well and what we needed to change for today. Nkem clicked pretty well, obviously, and the three people that played the balls in did, too. Something turned around real fast for us."

On the win giving the team confidence ... "This game gives us the confidence we need to go into our last home weekend of the season. We just have to keep going with this momentum, and continue it."

U-M Sophomore Nkem Ezurike
On her performance ... "I just wanted to go out there and play. Sitting out a game is tough for anybody. I had to get refocused. And above all, we needed this win. If we didn't get it, we'd be in a tough spot the rest of the year with some good teams still left on our schedule. Tori, Chloe and Jen played great balls into me and I just finished. We have to keep this going."