Purdue
The Alabama soccer team defeated the Purdue Boilermakers on Sept. 5 with a 1-0 final score, giving the team its sixth consecutive win and a 6-1 record.
The Crimson Tide offense led 9-6 on shots in the first half, and it scored in the 26th minute. After intercepting a failed clearance attempt by Purdue, midfielder Leah Kunde trapped and volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
The defense prevented Purdue from putting a single shot on goal.
“I felt good about our first half,” Alabama head coach Wes Hart said. “[I] thought we created some good chances and did some nice things in our attack.”
Despite this momentum in the first half, it began to fall in the second half.
“We just couldn’t make a play to get out of our end and catch our breath,” Hart said, adding that the defense did a great job and came up with big plays when necessary.
Alabama goalie Coralie Lallier made two saves. On Purdue’s first shot on frame, which came in the 79th minute, Lallier tapped the ball over the crossbar. In the 83rd minute, she dived across the goal to end the game with an Alabama shutout.
Sophomore Nadia Ramadan put pressure on the goal all game, but she was unable to convert on any of her three shots.
Michigan
The first half was a back-and-forth battle between the Crimson Tide and Wolverines. Alabama managed to hold a strong defensive line and catch Michigan offsides seven times.
“Our back line has done a better job of being a bit more aggressive. We certainly aren’t practicing or trying to run an offside trap, but we also don’t want to drop too deep and allow teams too much space,” said head coach Wes Hart.
It was a chippy game, three fouls given to Michigan and seven given to Alabama including a yellow card against midfielder Nadia Ramadan for unsporting.
Alabama led the half in shots with six shots to Michigan’s three, but Michigan scored in the 42nd minute, and the first half ended with the Crimson Tide down 1-0.
“We did not come out like a team that was hungry to jump on them and take control of the game. We were too passive. Gave them too much time and space. Did not do enough in the attack and or defense to make them uncomfortable,” Hart said.
In the second half the Crimson Tide came out firing. Forward Gianna Paul put a shot on goal within the first 35 seconds, but she couldn’t convert.
“Gianna has had a good start to the season. She was good against Purdue and again today against Michigan, [it] just didn’t show up on the score sheet,” Hart said. “In each game, she had a couple good looks, and today she had a great cross that we just couldn’t convert. Even when she’s not scoring, she’s causing problems for teams.”
The game was a continued back-and-forth in which neither team scored. The game ended in a 1-0 loss for the Tide.
“You can’t wait till the second half to and expect to win many games,” Hart said.
The Crimson Tide will take on Louisiana Tech at home on Friday, Sept. 13. at 7 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in on SEC Network+.
