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MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - The IUPUI women's soccer team claimed a spot in Saturday's Horizon League Championship match on a rainy Thursday night (Nov. 2) with a wild come-from-behind win over No. 2 seeded Northern Kentucky, 3-2. The Norse took a 2-1 lead in the 79th minute, only to see IUPUI tally an equalizer in the 84th minute and the game-winner with 62 seconds left in regulation. 

Freshman Valentine Pursey registered her second hat trick of the season and upped her goal total to 13 on the year in the victory. Seniors Krissy Kirkhoff and Sarah Jacobs earned assists and sophomore Sophia Lipka registered her 12th win of the season in net. 

"We knew that our first half performance wasn't good enough and we had to come out in the second and show them what we are capable of," Pursey said. "We would prefer a less heart racing game but we'll bloody take it!"

Northern Kentucky struck first when Jessica Frey got loose on a breakaway in the 17th minute and tallied her 11th score of the year. IUPUI (14-5-3) did well to trail just 1-0 at the break after being outshot 18-2 before intermission, however Lipka stepped up with five saves in the opening 45 minutes. 

IUPUI got equal in the 49th minute when Pursey took a Kirkhoff corner kick and rolled a shot through traffic, inside the far post. The Jaguars gained steam after drawing even and play was much more even from there. 

However, NKU's (9-6-2) high octane attack took the lead with just more than 10 minutes to play on a Samantha Duwel goal. Erin Sutton did the heavy lifting, taking the ball to the endline before rifling a cross back against the grain. Duwel redirected the cross at the near post, easily past Lipka for her third score of the year. 

IUPUI made it's own break in the 84th minute, earning the team's first penalty kick of the season. A long centering pass was earmarked for Kirkhoff just inside the 18, but was knocked down by the right arm of an NKU defender for an easy call. Pursey, who was not among the four PK takers in the Jaguars' game with Cleveland State on Monday, stepped up and easily beat NKU keeper Emily Lohmann for her second equalizer of the night. 

Her final heroics were yet to come though. 

NKU's Frey was hit with a yellow card for an aggressive hit near midfield, giving the Jaguars an opportune restart. Jacobs backed up her attackers before driving the ball into harm's way. Pursey was in the right place at the right time and redirected a header to the right of Lohmann for the go-ahead score in the middle of a strong rain. 

IUPUI dodged a bullet in the closing minute as Horizon League Player of the Year Macy Hamblin hit the post from distance with 10 seconds to play. Lipka pounced on the rebound and shrugged off an opponent before sending the ball skyward for a second celebratory sequence in four days.

"We came out strong in the second half and put one away immediately," Kirkhoff said. "We played simple and had faith in each other. This team has so much heart and we work hard for one another."

IUPUI was outshot 26-7 overall and 10-5 on frame, but used seven Lipka saves to get the win. Pursey scored on all three of her shot attempts for her second hat trick of the season. Her 13 goals this season are tied for second most in program history and one shy of tying the school's single-season mark of 14, set by Tara Latella in 2000. 

IUPUI will play top-seeded Milwaukee on Saturday night (Nov. 4) for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. That match will be played at Milwaukee's Engelmann Stadium at 7:00 p.m. Eastern and be broadcast on ESPN3.