EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Soccer returns to Strassweg Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. when the Screaming Eagles host Purdue University.
 
Admission to Sunday's match is free thanks to ProRehab. Sunday's theme is a whiteout, so USI fans should wear their white USI apparel to help white out Strassweg Field. Sunday's match will also feature a rally towel giveaway to the first 100 fans, a BJ's Restaurant free 'Pizookie' coupon giveaway, and a limited-edition USI Women's Soccer player cards giveaway, all while supplies last. Following the game, fans are encouraged to stick around for postgame autographs.
 
Sunday's contest marks the first all-time meeting between USI (0-2-2) and Purdue (4-0-1) and will be USI's first time hosting a major-conference program in the regular season. It will be USI's second time facing a Big Ten Conference opponent in the regular season after the Screaming Eagles traveled to the University of Nebraska to open the 2025 season.
 
USI will be playing its fourth home game in five matches on Sunday. The Screaming Eagles opened the regular season with three consecutive home matches, going 0-2-1 in the opening homestand. Five of USI's first six matches this season are at home.
 
USI Women's Soccer has bookended its first four matches so far with a pair of 0-0 draws, including last time out in its first road game of the season at Purdue University Fort Wayne last Sunday. USI also opened the season with a 0-0 tie against Wright State University.
 
While the Screaming Eagles still seek their first win of the 2026 season, the two draws so far give USI its best start through the first four matches since USI's inaugural D-I season in 2022.
 
Last Sunday, the Screaming Eagles outshot the Mastodons 12-8 overall and 3-2 in shots on goal. Purdue Fort Wayne's eight overall shot attempts and two on target were a season low for a USI opponent so far. Offensively, USI was led in shooting by junior forward Josie Pochocki, who tallied a team-high three shots, adding a shot on goal alongside freshmen forwards Sienna Respicio and Brylee Patterson. Graduate forward Payton Seymour and sophomore midfielder Anna Depenbrock each had two shots in the game.
 
This season, Pochocki and Seymour are tied for the team lead with nine shots taken. Pochocki is also tied with sophomore midfielder Olivia Hass with a team-high four shots on goal. Junior defender Emma Schut owns USI's lone goal so far.
 
Following last Sunday's shutout performance, USI's defense is off to a solid start through four matches. Not only do the Screaming Eagles have two shutouts, but they have also limited the opposition to only four goals overall, with only one coming in the general run of play. The Screaming Eagles are tied for second among Ohio Valley Conference teams in each category while third in goals against average (1.00). Compared to the start of last year's 2025 season, USI did not have a shutout and allowed 15 goals through the first four matches.
 
Between the posts, sophomore goalkeeper Merrick Schwalbach has started all four matches, playing every minute in goal. Schwalbach has 13 saves on 41 shots faced with the two clean sheets.
 
Purdue is undefeated through five matches played, all coming at home in West Lafayette, Indiana, and enters Sunday's tilt on a four-match winning streak. After opening the season with a 1-1 tie against the University of Evansville, the Boilermakers have wins against Purdue Fort Wayne, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, and Ball State University. Purdue has outscored its opposition 20-0 in the last three outings.
 
Purdue defeated Ball State 5-0 on Thursday, scoring all five goals in the first half, and four of the five coming from the penalty spot. As one of the top-scoring and shooting teams in the Big Ten Conference and in the nation, the Boilermakers posted 29 shots and 11 on goal against the Cardinals, who had only four shots and one on frame.
 
Overall, Purdue has scored 28 goals, averaging over five per game, on 184 shots this season. Jaiden Anderson paces the squad with 15 points off seven goals and an assist. Rosa Maalouf and Megan Santa Cruz each have four goals. In net, Krystina Wolf has seen most of the minutes for the Boilermakers with four starts. Wolf has a 0.28 GAA and only three saves.
 
Sunday's match can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Live stats and additional coverage are available at usiscreamingeagles.com.