Purdue University Northwest

The Purdue Northwest Women's Soccer team battled through hot conditions in its 2026 home opener Wednesday morning, but Illinois Springfield scored the decisive goal late to hand the Lions a tough 2-1 setback at Pepsi Field.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (1-1-1, 0-0-0), Illinois Springfield (2-1-0, 0-0-0)
• Location: Pepsi Field – Hammond, Ind.
• Attendance: 100

Inside the Numbers

• Senior Nayla Pena (Edinburg, Texas/Robert Vela) scored her second goal of the season, with senior Addison Thomas (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) providing the assist.
• Purdue Northwest finished with eight shots, including two on goal.
• Illinois Springfield recorded 12 shots, placing nine attempts on target.
• The Lions held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
• Senior Meta Fischer (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) played all 90 minutes in goal for PNW making seven saves in the contest.
• Illinois Springfield's goalkeeper, Gigi Yurivich, recorded one save.
• Purdue Northwest was called for five fouls, while UIS committed three.
• Abby Schaft (Troy, Ill./Triad) was issued the lone caution of the match for the Lions.

The Breakdown

• Purdue Northwest battled Illinois Springfield through the opening half in the heat, with both teams looking to gain an early advantage.
• The Lions broke through in the 36th minute when Pena found the back of the net off an assist from Thomas to give PNW a 1-0 lead.
• Illinois Springfield responded just over a minute later, as Autumn Diduch scored in the 38th minute to bring the match level at 1-1 heading into halftime.
• Both teams continued to battle throughout the second half, with the Lions creating opportunities while their defense worked to keep UIS off the scoreboard.
• Purdue Northwest held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks during the second half and continued to pressure the Prairie Stars.
• Illinois Springfield ultimately found the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute when Maddie Festerling scored to give UIS a 2-1 advantage.
• The Lions pushed forward during the final minutes in search of an equalizer, but Illinois Springfield's defense held on to secure the road victory.
• Despite the result, Purdue Northwest continued to show resilience in a hard-fought contest, with the Lions now sitting at 1-1-1 through three matches.

Up Next

• Purdue Northwest returns to action on the road as they travel to take on Winona State on Sunday, September 6 for their final non-conference game. Kick-off is slated for 11:00 AM CT in Winona, Minnesota.