Athlete of the Week: Purce Leads Harvard Offense

Forty-eight yards and one second were all freshman forward Midge Purce needed to send Princeton into a tailspin Saturday night at Soldier’s Field.

The jaw-dropping shot was one of two scored by Purce as she helped the Crimson women’s soccer team gain revenge on the Tigers for last year’s 3-1 loss.

With Purce’s fiery offensive performance, Harvard not only avenged the loss, but also put up its best showing against the team since 2010, with four goals and a defensive shutout.

“It was my first game against them,” Purce said. “They were a really fun team to play, they brought a lot of energy and really had great possession... It was just a really exciting day.”

And an exciting day it was for Purce, who shined in the contest. Purce notched her second multi-goal performance of the season, proceeding to take over the position as scoring leader in the Ivy league conference with a total of 10 goals scored.

The freshman is no stranger to powerful offensive play. In addition to leading the Ivy League in goals scored, Purce also leads the entire conference in points, with 23, and shots taken, with 66 attempts on goals.

The last player to lead in all three of these categories for the entire league was Katherine Sheeleigh ’11 in the 2010 season. The achievement accurately reflects a consistently successful season for the rookie.

“She’s done well the whole season,” Head Coach Ray Leone said. “But this was a particularly special game. She had high energy the whole time and played very well.”

The highlight of the game was without a doubt the midfield shot that Purce fired into Tiger territory with just one tick left on the clock before halftime. The shot sailed 48 yards and just out of the goalie’s reach, stunning the Princeton defense and wrapping up the first frame with a bang.

In a game against such an intense rival, the goal was exactly what Harvard needed to take command of the game once and for all.

“She had a few chances, and she just really got a hold of that one,” Leone said. “At night, a well struck ball like that is hard to handle”

Purce’s second goal came at the end of the second half, as she stole the ball and proceeded to evade three Princeton defenders while driving to the goal. This athletic display ended in the fourth and final goal for Harvard, which comfortably secured the 4-0 victory.

The win over Princeton has propelled Purce and the rest of the Crimson squad into the first-place spot in the Ivy League for the first time since 2011 with 15 points. The next closest competitor is Penn, with 10 points. The squad is undefeated in Ivy League play, an achievement which is in part owed to Purce’s noteworthy offensive performance thus far.

“First of all, she’s got an amazing drive,” Leone said. “She has a determination that is at the highest level, every time she steps on the field whether it be for practice or games... She’s a very athletic player; she’s very explosive and exciting on the ball.”

In spite of her impressive individual showing this year, Purce is quick to give her entire team credit for the offensive success she has been consistently posting on the field.

“It’s the way the team has been playing together,” Purce said. “We are learning what type of players we are, and how to play with each other. It’s really connecting, and it’s making good things happen on the field... We play for each other as a team, and that’s the reason why we’ve been successful thus far.”

It is this strong sense of team that drives Purce to perform at her best each time she steps onto the field.

“This [season] is the last time we’ll ever have the exact same team,” Purce said. “So we want to make it special for the girls who are leaving, and whoever’s last few games these are.”

With only two more conference games left in the season, maintaining this high level of play will be instrumental in finishing the season on a strong note, as the squad attempts to clinch the ultimate goal of an Ivy League title.

“We want to win,” Purce said. “We want to play the best game that we can play.”

Purce will look to cotinue making defenses sweat as the Crimson takes to the road for a matchup with Brown on Tuesday night.