West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's women's soccer team faced Purdue University on Sunday, ending with a 4-0 loss at Folk Field. The match was marked by a strong defensive showing from the Leathernecks, particularly goalkeeper Ariel Bernard, who made 10 saves over the course of the game. She split her efforts evenly between both halves, recording five saves in each.

Despite holding Purdue to only one goal in the first half and staying competitive into the second half, Western Illinois was unable to prevent Purdue from extending their lead late in the game. The Boilermakers maintained offensive pressure throughout, tallying a total of 37 shots.

Several Western Illinois players contributed significant minutes during the contest. Simone Thorst played the entire match, while teammates Daniela Gularte, Hilary Halpin, and Ava Bell each spent more than 70 minutes on the field.

The Leathernecks now hold a season record of 1-6-0 and will return home for their next match against Valparaiso on Thursday.

For further updates on Western Illinois women's soccer, information is available at GoLeathernecks.com and through their official social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.