SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Eastern women’s soccer team was 30 minutes away from pulling off the biggest upset in school history.

The No. 14 Purdue Boilermakers survived to defeat Eastern 3-1 in penalty kicks but had to hold their breath for the entire 120 minutes of action.

The Cinderella story from Charleston scored its first ever goal in NCAA Tournament play by a Audra Frericks header with 31:50 left in the second half. The sophomore forward got a crossing pass from senior midfielder Cara LeMaster and safely deposited the ball in the back of the net.

“We got that first goal and at that point, it was a matter of just holding on,” Eastern head coach Steve Ballard said.

As nightfall came and Touchdown Jesus began to glow, the Boilermaker offense came to life.

In the second half, Purdue out-shot the Panthers 19-2 and Eastern’s bend-but-don’t-break defense could withstand that type of scoring intensity.

With 28:53 left in the contest, Purdue was able to get one of its many loose balls around the net to go across the goal line.

Junior forward Jennie Moppart was able to put a loose ball over the goal line to even the score. With the Boilermakers having the regional advantage, the Ft. Wayne native was able to be a key contributor in Purdue’s first ever NCAA Tournament experience.

Panther goalie Lindsey Dechert made a career-high 13 saves and made a diving save to the left post and batted the ball while reaching back with

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her right fist.

“She had the greatest the game of her career,” Ballard said.

Eastern tried to come up with a last ditch offensive attack with 15 seconds left, junior Beth Liesen had one Purdue player to beat but was pulled down and the referee let time expire.

“Realistically, we were lucky to win this one,” Purdue head coach Robert Klatte said. “They played their game plan close to perfection.”

The two 10-minute overtime periods were somewhat uneventful with Purdue getting the only two shots on goal but the Panthers were on the defensive the entire evening.

“Late in the game (Purdue), went to five midfielders and it made it hard to pass the ball,” Ballard said.

Purdue won the do-or-die penalty kick session without forcing keeper Jocelyn Cavalier to make a save.

The Boilermakers first kicker Jessica Baumhoff easily beat Dechert and Audra Frericks missed her penalty kick over the bar.

Boliermakers junior defensemen Krystal Pepper made her shot in the exact same spot as Baumhoff and Panthers leading scorer Beth Liesen scored in the upper right corner of the net.

Purdue freshman Shannon Bradbury made her penalty shot, but senior Cara LeMaster hit the right post and bounced straight back. It was her last shot as a Panther soccer player.

Purdue Courtney Coppedge tried to shoot straight on but Dechert swallowed that attempt. Panther midfielder Rebecca Traen hit the same post and bounced off the cross bar. That miss clinched the Boilermakers first ever NCAA Tournament win.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of,” LeMaster said.

Purdue fell to spell of the Golden Dome by losing 3-1 to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

The Irish will get the Stanford-California winner in the round of 16.