WEST LAFAYETTE - Drew Roff briefly strayed from the postmatch coach speak in his media interview.
The eighth-year Purdue Boilermaker head women's soccer coach until this point had stuck by the book, crediting each individual and discussing the importance of a season-opening win with such a young team.
But the question had to be asked.
Coming off a historic season a year ago and losing four players from that team who are now professional soccer players, Roff used six freshmen and four sophom*ores in his rotation along with just eight combined upperclassmen.
So the question was posed: Did you expect this?
"I would be lying if I told you I was planning on a three-goal victory and a clean sheet," Roff said. "Obviously I was hoping to get a win or just play well and hopefully the result would match that. To score three goals and have some young players step up and score those big goals, I knew it was possible, but I wasn’t relying on it. ... Even though I love my team and I believe in them, I wouldn’t have predicted 3-0."
The Boilermakers, with all their youth, defeated No. 15 USC, relying on a rotation featuring 11 juniors, seniors and graduate students, to open the 2022 campaign.
But let's set the scene.
This night was memorable before it even kicked off.
Folk Field, known for its raucous crowds last season as Purdue developed a following during a 15-4-3 campaign that saw the Boilers advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, was electric.
The nearly 3,300 (officially 3,296) fans set a Folk Field attendance record by almost 1,200 and nearly doubled the previous second-largest home crowd for a Purdue soccer match. Many of those fans came toting vuvuzelas. Purdue's promotions department gave away 2,500 of the plastic horns that gained fame during the World Cup more than a decade ago. With a boosted crowd thanks to Boiler Gold Rush, the noise was deafening throughout the duration of a 90-minute match.
But it was thunderous even before as those fans surrounded the stadium, beating and banging on the black panels that surround the playing field.
It became downright intimidating, even to the home team.
"Before warmups, I was overwhelmed," said freshman Naomi Splittorff, whose goal with 1:50 remaining in the first half changed the entire dynamic of the match. "This is a lot of people. This is going to be a little bit scary. ...
"I bet they didn’t come into this thinking we were going to have 3,200 fans out there making loud noises and banging on the walls. I definitely think that was to our advantage for sure."
While USC, with all of its experience, dominated the match for 38 minutes, Purdue hung with the favored Trojans thanks to a solid defensive effort and stellar play in goal from sophom*ore Sara Kile, a Noblesville product who played just 11 minutes her freshman season without seeing a shot.
Thursday night, on national TV, she made six saves, each one seemingly more spectacular than the one before.
While the moment notably got to some players, Kile looked like the calmest Boilermaker on the field.
"I was definitely nervous not having a lot of experience," Kile said. "I’ve been watching from the sideline for awhile. That definitely built a little bit of comfort. I was excited to get the chance to step up. I just learned not to take the highs too high and the lows too low. Just stay in the middle and enjoy every moment."
Nerves.
Something all those affiliated with Purdue's soccer program admitted to Thursday night.
That's perhaps why Roff couldn't project his team would perform so well so soon.
Certainly he thought this group would get there at some point, but not necessarily against a powerhouse program with this kind of audience.
"We have a lot of talent, but we’re lacking experience in some positions," Roff said. "You always wonder how young players will do on a big stage against a really dangerous opponent. I thought they were incredible. ...
"It’s a start, but it’s a great start. Now they know what they are capable of and this is something you can certainly build on."
Splittorff's goal just before the half was promising. But Gracie Dunaway's score in the 59th minute finally eased the tension.
When Dunaway scored her second goal barely more than 11 minutes later, the crowd erupted and the victory seemed imminent.
"It was insane. It was so awesome. … Just having all those fans, family members, friends behind us is awesome energy and it really boosted us while we were playing," said Dunaway, who had nine points last year as a freshman but scored just one goal. "It was definitely intimidating at first because you want to do well for all the people who come out to support you and watch you. It also boosted us to say we have all these people who are out here for us."
Kayla Budish, the highly-touted freshman who was Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year last season, assisted on two goals. Freshman Riley Knudsen, one of the highest-ranked high school defenders in the country last season, assisted on another. Sophom*ore Abigail Roy secured her first career point by helping assist Splittorff's goal, while junior Emily Mathews and fifth-year senior Sydney Duarte also had helpers.
"No matter what the result, the environment makes it a night you won’t forget," Roff said. "But to get a result like that obviously takes it to another level."
As quickly as it was celebrated, however, Purdue's season won't be made off one victory.
The Boilermakers hope last season's success was just the beginning.
"It was something special to celebrate, but tomorrow we’ve got to come back to practice and earn it every single game, every single day," Kile said. "This win is awesome, but it doesn’t mean anything against Vanderbilt on Sunday."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
