Home Opener Ends in a Stalemate
Purdue Fort Wayne's women's soccer team opened its season at home on August 23, facing Southern Indiana in a tightly contested match that ended without a goal. The Mastodons entered the game with high hopes of building momentum early in the campaign.
From the outset the Mastodons asserted dominance, earning four corner kicks in the opening 18 minutes and forcing early chances. Amanda Leonard tested the visitors with a shot that threatened to break the deadlock, but the effort was kept at bay.
Southern Indiana answered with its own rhythm, generating three shots and six corners before the half‑hour mark, the most notable coming from a series of set‑pieces that kept the defense busy.
The breakthrough came when goalkeeper Sam Christle made a series of crucial saves, including a pivotal stop in the closing minutes of the first half that preserved the clean sheet. Christle’s performance earned her first collegiate shutout, finishing with three saves.
The second half saw Audriana Rhyner open the scoring attempt for the Mastodons in the 48th minute, while senior midfielder Kailey Hansen tried her luck in the 67th minute, only to be denied by the opposing keeper. Despite Southern Indiana holding a 9‑5 shot advantage after the break, the Purdue Fort Wayne back line, anchored by Emersyn Geik and Christle, held firm.
When the final whistle sounded the teams walked away with a 0‑0 draw, leaving Purdue Fort Wayne at 0‑1‑1 and Southern Indiana at 0‑2‑2. The Mastodons now turn their attention to a two‑game road swing, beginning with a match against Central Michigan on August 27 before heading to Eastern Illinois on August 30.