Michigan to Take on No. 19 Purdue in Big Ten Tournament Semifinal Match

» Michigan, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, enters the week ranked No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll as well as No. 10 in the NCAA RPI rankings.
» Senior Raleigh Loughman leads the team in all three major offensive categories with eight goals, six assists and 22 points.
» The trip to the Garden State will be U-M's third to New Jersey on the campaign.

THIS WEEK
Thursday, Nov. 4 -- vs. #19 Purdue - Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Piscataway, N.J.), 4 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video

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The third-seeded University of Michigan women's soccer team (13-3-3) travels to Piscataway, N.J. for the Big Ten Tournament semifinals versus No. 2-seed Purdue on Thursday (Nov. 4) at 4 p.m., at Rutgers' Yurcak Field, and the matchup will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network. The other semifinal match features host and No. 1-seed Rutgers against fifth-seeded Iowa, with a potential date in the Big Ten Championship match on Sunday (Nov. 7) at 1 p.m.

Wolverine Bites

• In the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, released Tuesday (Nov. 2), Michigan is ranked No. 13, is No. 10 in the latest NCAA RPI and also boasts a strength of schedule of 21. The coaches poll rank of No. 13 and the RPI rank of 10 are the highest of the season in both categories.

• U-M is outshooting opponents 356-186 and outscoring teams 33-16. The Wolverines rank No. 12 in the NCAA in shots (19.89/match) and second in the Big Ten in the category. Michigan is 12-2-2 on the year when outshooting teams.

• Senior Raleigh Loughman leads the team in all three major offensive categories with a career-high eight goals as well as six assists and 22 points. The All-Big Ten first team honoree has a goal in three sraight matches and 12 points over the last six contests.

• U-M is 9-0-1 when leading at the half on the campaign and 9-1-1 when scoring the first goal in a contest.

• The trip will be U-M's third to New Jersey on the campaign. U-M originally traveled to Piscataway for a Sept. 23 matchup against Rutgers that was cancelled due to weather. The Wolverines later returned for the makeup of that contest on Oct. 6, when the squad suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Scarlet Knights.

• Michigan last made a Big Ten Tournament semifinals appearrance in 2019, advancing to the final against Penn State -- both of which were also played Yurcak Field. U-M defeated Maryland in the opening round, and then knocked off host Rutgers 2-1 in overtime before falling to the Nittany Lions 2-1 in the championship match.

• The Maize and Blue boast a 3-2 record in Big Ten Tournament play under head coach Jennifer Klein, with both losses coming against Penn State in the 2018 quarterfinals the 2019 final.

Opponent Preview

Purdue
All-time series against the Boilermakers: Michigan leads 13-4-4

Purdue checks in at No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 18 in the NCAA RPI. The two sides met previously in West Lafayette on Sept. 30, with U-M emerging victorious by a 2-1 scoreline. Junior Dani Wolfe and sophomore Sammi Woods notched goals in what proved to be Purdue's first loss of the season. The Wolverine defense held the Boilermakers largely in check, allowing only six shots on the contest. Michigan led 1-0 in the 22nd minute before surrendering a marker 30 seconds later. Woods' score came nearly 10 minutes later to cement the 2-1 win.

The Boilermakers enter the semifinals coming off of a 1-0 win over Ohio State on Sunday (Oct. 31). The lone goal of the match came from Sarah Griffith, setting the Purdue school record for goals in a season with 15.

Purdue boasts a 14-3-2 overall ledger on the year, with defeats coming against Notre Dame (Sept. 2), Michigan (Sept. 30) and Penn State (Oct. 21).

Griffith leads the Big Ten in goals (15) and points (32), while ranking third nationally in goals and shots per game (5.00/match).

Collectively, the Boilermakers boast five All-Big Ten honorees in Griffith and Emily Matthews (first team), Skylurr Patrick and goalkeeper Marissa Bova (second team) and Grace Walsh (third team).

Up Next

Monday, Nov. 8 -- NCAA Selection Show (NCAA.com), 4:30 p.m.