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82 IllustrateD volume 25, issue 1 f games, becoming the first Boilermaker to accomplish the feat since Okorofao in 2009. She posted a goal or assist in seven of the eight non-conference game she played in. However, as the season wore on, Williams tapered off, while the rest of the Boilermakers did the same. Just two of her 26 points came in the final 13 games of the season, and she to- taled just one goal and zero assists in the final six games. Purdue suffered without much production from its major offensive weapon, losing its final six matches. "I think she's got her mental confidence back," Klatte said. "As a freshman when she moved into the latter part of the season, I think it got hard for her physical- ly. I think that's why we didn't see her score the same amount of goals as she did earlier in the season." In addition to hitting the freshman wall, an ankle injury bothered Williams for most of the year and forced her to miss time against IPFW and Miami (Ohio). The injury left Williams with a lot to be desired. "My ankle really bothered me last year, I don't think I played half as well as I should have," Williams said. "My ankle's strengthened and everything's a lot better, so I'm really excited for my upcoming season per- sonally." When healthy, Williams proved to be one of the top scorers in the con- ference. Her combination of footwork and shot speed allow her to score in a multitude of ways, as was evident in last season's season opener against Akron. In the 29th minute, she scored with power, using her foot strength to send the ball into the net before the goalkeeper had time to react. Seven minutes later, Wil- liams' footwork fooled a Zip defender and goalie, which led to a wide-open shot into an empty net. No one can attest to that goal-scoring ability more than Purdue goalkeeper Jordan Ginther, who prac- tices against Williams ev- ery day. "She definitely has a hard shot to stop," Ginther said. "It's always nice to stay after practice and have her shoot on me. It really helps me out since she's such a great player." The next step for Williams will be to match her non-conference production in Big Ten play, where three opponents are ranked in the top 25 in No. 7 Michigan, No. 13 Nebraska and No. 24 Penn State. Klatte said he believes Williams, a second team preseason all-confer- ence pick by CollegeSportsMadness. com, will take that step. He looks to maintain her strong play throughout the duration of the season, a key fac- tor if Purdue is to reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2009. "She's really got a fantastic mental attitude towards playing and train- ing," Klatte said. "She wants the ball. She wants the responsibility of scor- ing goals. I think she's got her mental confidence back." j In search of new trend Coach Rob Klatte, now entering his 16th year, is ea- ger to reverse recent struggles in his program. Here's how the win totals have averaged in the three five- year period of his Boilermaker tenure: First Five (1999-2003) 11.8 Second Five (2004-08) 13.6 Last Five (2009-2013) 8.0 Last season's 4-0 home loss to Nebraska sparked a downward spiral that saw Purdue lose its last six matches and score just three goals. "When you lose one match, it's really easy to get down on yourself," Maddie Williams said. "When you lose another, it's tougher … I think that's why we ta- pered off at the end. I think a lot of us were fed up with it. Not all of us were willing to put the pieces back together to win." 2014 soccer schedULe Date Opponent Time/Result Aug. 15 at Illinois State (Exhibition) W, 2-0 Aug. 22 MIAMI OHIO* 7 p.m. Aug. 24 OHIO* 2 p.m. Aug. 29 BALL STATE 7 p.m. Aug. 31 SIU EDWARDSVILLE 1 p.m. Sept. 4 at Marshall 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at Youngstown State Noon Sept. 12 PENN STATE 7 p.m. Sept. 14 OHIO STATE 1 p.m. Sept. 19 at Northwestern 8 p.m. Sept. 21 at Illinois 2 p.m. Sept. 26 MINNESOTA 7 p.m. Sept. 28 WISCONSIN 1 p.m. Oct. 2 at Maryland 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Rutgers 1 p.m. Oct. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Nebraska 5 p.m. Oct. 19 at Iowa 2 p.m. Oct. 25 INDIANA 7 p.m. Nov. 1 MICHIGAN 7 p.m. Nov. 5 Big Ten Quarterfinals # TBA Nov. 7 Big Ten Semifinals # TBA Nov. 9 Big Ten Finals # 1 p.m. * Boilermaker Challenge Cup # Boilermaker Soccer Complex