End of Season Review: 2016

Leading up to the 2016 season, we knew that it was going to be something special but we didn't know just quite how special it was going to be. After a bit of rebranding, the dazzling Purdue University FC era commenced and it sure did not disappoint. Your Boiler Boys battled out a grueling 1-0 win curtesy of an Elliott Miller penalty kick, to start off the campaign at home against fellow in-state rival, Notre Dame. The following week saw us make what would be our second longest journey of the season up north to Grand Valley State and Ferris State. Game would see a monsoon of a match turn PUFC's way thanks to a stunning strike from senior Carlos Pelaez for a second straight 1-0 victory. The next day, your Boiler Boys trekked up to Ferris State which saw the weather take a turn for the better and with it a more comfortable scoreline for PUFC. Seniors Ryan Penny & David Zuccarelli both tallied their first goals of the season to coast us back to West Lafayette with an undefeated record. Just a week later, our first of two straight double headers took place with both Butler and Valparaiso coming to Purdue. For the first time this season, we would see individuals get on the score sheet who weren't seniors against Valparaiso which included Jacob Wallace, Bruno Kiep (X2), and Joe Nikolai. Ryan Penny would add in his second goal for a final of 5-0, this would set up game number two of the day which saw an even better scoreline. Unlike the Valparaiso game, the Butler game was led by seniors adding their name to the score sheet which included Elliott Miller (X2), Carlos Pelaez (X2), Khaled Noui-Mehidi & Dominic Berra. Thanks to a Butler own-goal the final score would finish at 7-0 to see your Boiler Boys improve to 5-0 in preparation to an important weekend. Away at Michigan State and Central Michigan both loomed on the horizon for the final double-header of the campaign. With Michigan State up first, PUFC battled for the breakthrough but thanks to some experience grinding out 1-0 wins, that's just what happened with a crucial goal coming from freshman Nathan Washburn. This would mark PUFC's sixth consecutive shutout of the season before the second match in the day's double-header against Central. After a back and forth affair, this game would prove to break the streak of clean sheets but your Boiler Boys made their mark with a 6-3 victory with goals coming from Elliott Miller, Ryan Penny, Nick Sorg and Jacob Wallace (X3). Finally breaking into October after a tough month of September, PUFC found themselves at the top of the table with a 7-0 record with just three games left and a terrific opportunity to make the MASC Regional Tournament for the first time in a very long time for the club. Eastern Michigan, Michigan and Western Michigan all remained as home games on the schedule which left the opportunity to be crowned at home as Division Champions should the results fall the right way. First was Eastern Michigan, which comfortably went the Boiler Boys way with a scoreline of 6-0 to bring PUFC's goal differential to the season to +26 thanks to goals from Juan Jaramillo, Elliott Miller, Santiago Noboa, Jai Gore, Kevin Locklear and goalkeeper Benjamin Elliott. Next up were the Wolverines of Michigan who currently sat in second place in the division with an undefeated record as well albeit with one draw. This would prove to be PUFC's toughest match of the regular season, going back and forth but eventually the Wolverines would finish on top with a scoreline of 2-1 with the goal coming from an Elliott Miller penalty. Still with destiny in PUFC's own hands still with a win over Western Michigan the title of "Division Champions" was still a possibility. Surely enough on the last day of the regular season, PUFC would emerge as 4-0 victors and more importantly clinching the MASC Central Division Title with a 4-0 win courtesy of Bruno Kiep, Nathan Washburn, Elliott Miller and Nick Sorg. The next day saw your Boiler Boys take on a different kind of opponent with the Purdue University FC Alumni Match taking place. This saw everyone leave as a winner with Boilermakers from across the country coming in for the event, even those from our 1994 National Championship side making an appearance. With the division wrapped up, the next weekend provided the opportunity to become crowned as Regional Champions down at Grand Park in Indianapolis. Matched up against Cincinnati and bitter rivals, Indiana it would prove to be a difficult day of matches for the Boiler Boys. Cincinnati would go on to record a 2-0 victory and Indiana would squeak out a 1-0 victory to effectively end PUFC's run for a Regional Championship. Regardless, PUFC was still selected to partake in the NIRSA National Championship Series in Foley, Alabama for the third straight year. Drawn into a group that included the likes of Towson, Cal Poly & Louisiana State, PUFC would get to play teams from very different regions. The first game against Towson would go quite well for PUFC with Neil Kippenbrock, Bruno Kiep and Nathan Washburn all going on the scoresheet to secure a solid 3-0 victory. Game two would be against Cal Poly and saw your Boiler Boys battle back for a season's first draw with an Elliott Miller strike pulling a point from the game. The final game of the group against Louisiana State would put PUFC on top of the group with a victory which would eventually occur thanks to the tenth shutout of the season and goals coming from Kevin Locklear, Neil Kippenbrock and Jacob Wallace to finish with a scoreline of 3-0. Qualifying for the quarter-finals matched Eastern Carolina against your Boiler Boys in the first night game of the season. The excitement in the squad was electric leading up and it would prove worth it thanks to a wonderful solo goal by Jacob Wallace to put the Boiler Boys into the semi-finals with another 1-0 victory. PUFC made the 2015 semi-finals as well, losing to UC-Davis at a scoreline of 1-0. In 2016, another west coast opponent was on the horizon in the likes of University of Oregon. In what would become a bad trend, your Boiler Boys closed how the 2016 season in a heartbreaking fashion losing 1-0 for the second straight year. Not to go home empty handed though, two Boiler Boys, Jacob Wallace & David Capone, would earn All Tournament Team honors.