Sarah Griffith has been back for a while.
But now she’s even better than ever.
A redshirt senior forward from Waubonsie Valley, Griffith leads Purdue in scoring with 13 goals.
Griffith has scored in seven straight games, six of which were wins. That includes a 2-1 victory at Ohio State in which she recorded the fastest overtime goal in program history, winning the game 34 seconds into OT.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” Griffith said. “I’ve put in a lot of work, so I knew I was going to get something out of it.
“But it’s definitely special and I’m definitely excited to be in this situation.”
Griffith, a Naperville resident, was a four-year starter at Waubonsie. She helped the Warriors finish third in the state as a freshman in 2014 and tallied 24 goals and 11 assists as a senior.
But Griffith’s soccer future was thrown into doubt when she missed her sophomore year at Purdue following back surgery. She was sidelined for 18 months.
“It was a long process,” Griffith said. “I really just took it day by day.”
The recovery involved as much mental strain as physical healing, but Griffith was determined to return.
“I love soccer so much,” Griffith said. “I have this passion for it. It’s given so much to me, so there’s no way I was going to give it up. I literally did everything I could and thankfully that got me back.”
Purdue coach Drew Roff is thankful, too, as Griffith has led the Boilermakers (11-3-2) to their best season since 2007.
Griffith has scored four game-winning goals, giving her nine for her career. She has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three times.
Her goal-scoring streak is the longest in program history, and she currently sits sixth on the program’s all-time scoring list.
“What a player,” Roff said. “Scoring goals at this level consistently is one of the hardest things to do, so you would never expect that from anyone. But she has that type of talent.”
Griffith attributes her success to her teammates.
“This team is so special,” Griffith said. “You can’t get better people and players.
“The girls are the foundation to everything we do, and it doesn’t surprise me that we’ve had such a special year because we have such a special group of girls.”
Roff said Griffith has led the way as an exemplary captain.
“She’s shown her quality throughout, but to maintain that level from start to finish, just the preparation and the mindset that takes is something really special,” Roff said. “Nobody works harder than her and nobody invests more than her, so to see the results has been fantastic.
“When your best players are the most invested and the hardest working, it just sets an incredible tone for the rest of the group. It really sets the bar high, and that’s exactly what she does for our program.”
Griffith is one of nine Boilermakers who hail from the Chicago suburbs. The roster includes sophomore forward Hannah Martin, who led Naperville North to the 2019 state championship.
“Wherever we play, there’s always one or two girls from Naperville, which is fun to see,” Griffith said. “Naperville is the place to be.”
Griffith plans to do humanitarian work after her playing days are over.
“I’ve always wanted a career where I could help people, whether that is teaching, social work or counseling,” Griffith said. “My mom (Melissa) is a special ed teacher, so I’ve always looked up to her.”
But first, Griffith hopes to play pro soccer, which Roff said is a realistic aspiration.
“Absolutely, she’s ready for that next step,” Roff said. “She has the ability and the mentality of a professional.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
