72 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED
BY KYLE CHARTERS
KCharters@GoldandBlack.com
I
n the Boilermakers' first two
games this season, they com-
bined to score seven goals.
A year ago, they scored 19 — total
— in 19 games.
Credit Drew Roff with the surge.
The new coach has brought an ag-
gressive style to the Boilermakers,
one high on risk but big on reward.
So far the results have been positive,
with Purdue scoring 13 goals in its
first four games under Roff, two of
them exhibitions, two regular-season
and all of them victories.
"Goal scoring is always exciting,"
senior captain Kim Love said, a day
after Purdue scored four in an exhi-
bition win at Milwaukee in August
to start Roff's tenure. "He wants our
whole team to be attacking. As a de-
fender I'm just like 'Whoa, I (usually)
just try to hang back and stop balls
from going in,' but he wants us all
forward pressing on the attack, and
he says we might give up a couple
goals but we're trying to be an attack-
ing team. It's a whole new style were
adapting to, but I like it."
That Roff wants to get after it may
not be surprising, given his back-
ground. The 42-year-old Ann Arbor, Mich., native was a
forward at Michigan State, graduating in 1996, and loved
to get after his opponents. It was how he played, so natu-
rally, he's brought that to coaching.
"Some people think if you play aggressive, you aren't
good defensively, but the best defense is when the other
team doesn't have the ball," he said. "We really believe in
defending well as a team, but I love to score goals, and it's
enjoyable to watch. We're going to play a little different
On The Attack
New coach brings aggressive style
Tom Campbell
First-year coach Drew Roff's attacking offensive approach could help Purdue return
to competing in Big Ten.
