Purdue Sports Update Sept. 7

SOCCER RETURNS HOME TO HOST NO. 25 TCU

The soccer team is back at Folk Field and begins a three-game homestand against No. 25 TCU on Thursday, September 7, at 7 p.m. ET.

Admission is free for all fans to the contest and to each regular-season home game in 2023. There will be a grocery tote giveaway for all fans while supplies last, and Thursday is Student Appreciation Night. As part of Student Group Night, campus groups and student involvement will be celebrated during the game. As a reminder to all fans, a clear bag policy is in effect for all Purdue Athletics events once again in 2023.

Thursday night’s game will be broadcast live on B1G+, and live stats are available at PurdueStats.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.

Following a two-game roadtrip, the Boilermakers return home with a 2-4-0 record and a 2-2-0 mark at Folk Field. The Old Gold and Black are coming off a 3-0 loss at Colorado on Sunday afternoon. The Horned Frogs visit West Lafayette with a 2-2-1 mark after a 1-0 home victory over Texas A&M on Sunday. Purdue and TCU will meet for the first time in program history on Thursday night.

WOMEN’S GOLF WINS BOILERMAKER CLASSIC TO START SEASON

Women’s Golf protected its home course, starting the 2023-24 season by beating 14 other teams to win the Boilermaker Classic. The Boilermakers finished the 54-hole event 12-under par (296-270-286—852) on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Complex, six shots ahead of runner-up Alabama.

After building a lead thanks to a school-record 270 (-18) in the second round, Purdue posted another under-par round (-2) to remain atop the leaderboard and capture the team title. The 54-hole team total matched the fourth-lowest score in school history alongside the Boilermakers’ performance at the 2008 Indiana Invitational.

Once again, senior Kan Bunnabodee paced Purdue with a final round 69 (-3) to finish runner-up on the individual leaderboard at 9-under. Her 207 (75-63-69) matched her career low and tied for the third-best 54-hole total in program history with the help of a school-record 63 in the second round. Bunnabodee earned her best performance as a Boilermaker and the fifth Top 10 of her career.

Speaking of Top 10, Jocelyn Bruch cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career. She placed sixth with a career-low 212 (69-69-74), breaking her previous best by five strokes. The Carmel, Indiana, native only made three miscues throughout the three rounds, and she broke 70 for the first time with consecutive 69s.

Momo Sugiyama finished another tournament in red figures, firing a 215 (-1) with a 69 sandwiched in between rounds of 73. Starting her second season as a Boilermaker, she recorded her fourth Top 10, tying for ninth on the individual leaderboard.

Ashley Kozlowski tied for 22nd, her tournament highlighted by a second round 69. The senior contributed to the team score during the final round as well, firing a 73 that included a trio of birdies.

Playing in her first tournament as a Boilermaker, Natasha Kiel saved her best round for last with a 1-under 71. The Vanderbilt transfer made a team-high four birdies throughout the final round, including back-to-back birdies on the par-4 15th and the par-5 16th. The under-par round vaulted her 25 spots up the leaderboard and into a tie for 37th.

Freshman Jasmine Kahler competed as an individual, wrapping up the tournament on her 18th birthday. She tied for 22nd at 5-over, which included an even-par 72 in the second round. Lana Malek, another Purdue freshman, also debuted and tied for 30th on the individual leaderboard (+6). The Hoce, Slovenia, native had her best round at the start of the tournament, also a 72.

Purdue won its second tournament under Zack Byrd, who began his second season as head coach of the Boilermakers. The last time Purdue won tournaments in consecutive seasons occurred during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns.

Up next, the Boilermakers hit the road for the first time this season. Purdue travels to East Lansing, Michigan for the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 17-18), hosted by Michigan State.

BOILERMAKERS FINISH THIRD AT STRONG ERIN HILLS FIELD

The men’s golf team couldn’t hold off a strong Chattanooga charge in today’s final round and finished tied for third at the Marquette Intercollegiate.

The Boilermakers led after the first and second rounds, but couldn’t hold on for their first win of the season in the season-opening event.

Chattanooga fired a final-round, 3-under par 285 to win by three shots with an 11-over par 875 (296-294-285). California was second at 14-over par, while Purdue (287-296-296=879) and Texas A&M finished tied for third at 15-over par 879.

Cincinnati rounded out the top five at 17-over par.

Herman Sekne started his season off on the right foot with a fifth-place finish at 1-under par 215 (74-73-68). His final-round 68 was the second-lowest round all week, and marked his ongoing school-record 26^th career round in the 60s.

Sekne now ranks fifth all-time in career top-10 finishes with 14, coming in just 28 career events. He owns nine career top-five showings.

Playing as an individual, Luke Prall recorded his first career top-10 finish with a sixth-place finish at even-par 216 (70-71-75).

Nels Surtani finished tied for 12^th at 3-over par 219 (70-71-78). Nick Dentino was tied for 22^nd at 7-over par 223 (75-73-75).

Sam Easterbrook (71-81-76=228) and Peyton Snoeberger (72-79-77=228) tied for 43^rd.

As individuals, Kentaro Nanayama (77-75-75=227) and Kent Hsiao (76-73-78=227) were tied for 40^th at 11-over par.

Purdue’s next action comes Sept. 15-17 at the loaded Olympia Fields Invitational at Olympia Fields Country Club.  

CHICOINE NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

After back-to-back five set victories over top-25 opponents in under 24 hours, Chloe Chicoine of the volleyball team was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

The outside hitter led the team with 41.5 points over two matches, was second on the team in digs (23) and produced double-doubles in each win.

To open Week 2, Chicoine led all players with 21 kills in the 3-2 win at #23 Kansas. The newcomer hit .296% with just five errors in 54 swings while securing 12 digs in the match. Chicoine was instrumental in the Boilermakers’ late push to upend the Jayhawks, posting a .400 attack % (5-1-10) in the fourth set and six digs in the fifth set.

The following night, the Lafayette, Indiana, product totaled 17 kills in the match behind a season-high 55 swings. Chicoine recorded four kills with a .500 attack % vs. #19 Marquette in the fifth set to help Purdue win the match, 17-15.

The honor marks the first of Chicoine’s career and the first of the season for a Boilermaker.

After posting back-to-back top-25 wins for the first time since the 2021 season, #20 Purdue will return to Holloway Gymnasium this weekend for the Stacey Clark Classic. The Boilermakers will take on SMU on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by #19 Kentucky or #21 Houston on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. All tournament matches will be streamed on B1G+.