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GoldanDBlack express • volume 25, express 4 • 38 loss with a 3-1 win over Western Michigan Saturday. After Western Michigan won Game 2 to tie the match 1-1, the Boilermakers fin- ished strong with 25-17 and 25-12 wins in Games 3 and 4, respective- ly. Purdue outhit the Broncos .383 to .150 "It was pretty crucial that we came back and got that win," Nich- ol said. "Ending a weekend on a loss is really tough to do because you go into that week of practice and all you think about is why you lost. I think that while we're using the loss in practice to get better, we also have that win against Western Michigan to fall back on." The Boilermakers return home after two weekends on the road to host Saint Louis, Morehead State and Notre Dame in the Active An- Olympic spOrts Athlete-Of-the-Week: mAddie WilliAms T he right foot of Maddie Williams helped the soc- cer team snap a seven-game Big Ten losing streak that dated back to Oct. 10 of last season. The sophomore forward scored two goals and dished out an assist Sunday to lift Purdue past Ohio State 3-1 at the Boil- ermaker Soccer Complex. "It was a really, really good start to the Big Ten season for our team," Williams said. "Last year, we lost a lot of games that we shouldn't and we had that losing streak. Beating Ohio State 3-1 showed we're really good de- fensively and our offense is getting better. " Williams' goal in the 32nd minute came off a nifty right-to-left cross from Alex Hairston. Williams slid by a Buckeye defender before cranking the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. She broke a 1-1 tie from the 18-yard box in the 80th minute off of a flip throw-in from Christa Szalach. "Any time we get the ball deep in the opponent's side, it's pretty much like a corner for us because Christa can throw it so far," Williams said. "She had a throw-in, I took a touch, it bounced off someone else, then the defenders were just standing around and I ran up and hit it in." Getting shots hasn't been a problem for Williams throughout the season. Entering last weekend, Wil - liams led the Big Ten by a large margin with 42 shots but had just three goals to show for it. Coach Rob Klatte said he could sense Williams' frustration on the field early in the season. "We talked a lot about how she carried herself and reacted to those situations and making sure her body language showed that she had confidence and a willingness to continue to shoot," Klatte said. "We kept reinforcing in her that we be- lieved in her and she was capable of putting the ball in the back of the net." Williams said getting two shots to hit the back of the net Sunday was "a big relief." "This year I've had some struggles fin- ishing-wise," she said. "I knew I could do it, I just had some struggles. I've had a couple talks with Rob about self-belief and things like that. Getting two goals this weekend and helping Makaela (Nellams) get a goal was awesome. It broke the barrier and hopefully I can go forward from here." According to Klatte, it was only a matter of time until Williams' shots started to go in. "She's by far the best finisher we've had here at Purdue in quite some period of time," Klatte said. "Her accuracy with power is probably the best player I've ever had the luxury of coaching." In addition to its victory over Ohio State, Williams and the Boilermakers played a competitive match in a 1-0 loss to No. 8 Penn State Friday after losing 6-1 to the Nittany Lions last year. "They're ranked to finish first in the Big Ten," Wil - liams said. "If we're losing 1-0 to the best team in the conference, that gives our team confidence going forward." Purdue hits the road for the first time in Big Ten play this weekend as it takes on Illinois (6-2, 1-1) and Northwestern (4-2-2, 0-1-1). — Travis Baugh *Subject to credit approval. No annual fee. Balance transfers and cash advances not eligible for rewards points. Federally insured by NCUA. At home and on the road, the official Purdue Alumni Association Visa ® Credit Card is the best way to pay. Shop at millions of places worldwide and online. Earn rewards points on all your purchases redeemable for unlimited cash back, gift cards and cash donations to the John Purdue Club. BLEED BLACK AND GOLD. Apply today. * PURDUEFED.COM/VISA