Women’s Soccer Falls in Extra Time to Detroit Mercy
The Valparaiso University women’s soccer team found a dramatic equalizer in the 88th minute Saturday night at Brown Field against Detroit Mercy to force extra time, but the Titans converted a penalty kick just seconds into the extra period to send the Crusaders to a 2-1 defeat.
How It Happened
- The teams played a relatively calm first half, with scoring chances hard to come by. The Crusaders out-shot the Titans 5-3 in the first 45 minutes.
- The Titans looked to take the lead in the 63rd minute, but redshirt junior Morgan Manzke (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) came up big, clearing a shot off the line. Detroit Mercy would score the opening goal just over a minute later, however, as Anna Mindling gained possession off a turnover, split defenders and hit a shot from 20 yards into the upper-right corner.
- With time winding down, the Crusaders found the back of the net off a set piece to level the match. A corner kick in the 88th minute was deflected on into the middle of the box, and redshirt freshman Ava Porlier (Downers Grove, Ill./South) nodded the ball along. Junior Grace Rogers (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) was there on the right-hand side of the box and knocked a looping header over Titan keeper Marina Manzo to make it a 1-1 game.
- But just seconds into extra time, the game would change again, as Crusader goalkeeper Tess Barrett (Tinley Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) was shown a red card for a foul in the box as she came out to challenge a breakaway and took down the attacker. Rachel DeLuca stepped up for Detroit Mercy and went lower-left corner with the spot kick to give the Titans the win.
Inside the Match
- Rogers scored her first goal of the season and the second of her career – her first tally since Oct. 11, 2014. Porlier’s assist on the goal was the first of her career.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Drew Moulton (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) made her season debut following Barrett’s red card, entering to face the ensuing penalty kick.
- Detroit Mercy out-shot the Crusaders, 13-9, including an 8-4 edge in shots on goal. Barrett made five saves in goal for Valpo.
Thoughts From Head Coach John Marovich
“It’s always great to see how players respond to adversity. Tonight, we battled back, never gave in and in doing so were able to find ourselves the late equalizer. It shows a lot of courage to continue to fight and find yourself that chance you need to level the game.”
“I think we handled the first 22 minutes of the game quite well. We were able to move the ball and create dangerous situations. In those moments, we need to find way to get a goal so that we can play from ahead instead of eventually having to come from behind.”
“Tonight’s a perfect example of the nature of competition in the Horizon League. You battle, you fight, you claw, you do whatever you can to pick up points. We did that to tie the game, and unfortunately in the end, we give away the penalty and drop points. Now we have to pick it up and look forward to Wednesday – another opportunity to earn points in league play.”
Next Up
The Crusaders (5-6-0, 1-1-0 Horizon) close out the current homestand Wednesday evening at home at Brown Field versus Milwaukee. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Links for live coverage will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
Crusaders Claim Key League Win at Cleveland State
For the second consecutive league road fixture, the Valparaiso University men’s soccer team earned a win away from home, as the Crusaders took down Cleveland State Saturday night, 2-1.
How It Happened
- The Crusaders got on the board first just past the halfway mark of the first half. Senior Matthew Gweh (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview [High Point]) crossed a ball in from the right, where redshirt freshman Jacob Pesek (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade) drilled it in off the bar to give Valpo the 1-0 advantage.
- After helping on Valpo’s opening goal, Gweh finished off the eventual match-winner in the 55th minute. Senior Adrian Graham (Kingston, Jamaica/St. George’s College) sent a long ball over the top of the CSU defense, and Gweh ran onto it, took one touch and blasted it home to double the lead.
- Cleveland State’s Lawrence Karpeh made it a 2-1 game in the 61st minute, knocking in a rebound after a Viking shot ricocheted off the post. The Crusaders held off CSU from there, however.
Inside the Match
- Pesek’s goal was the first of his career, while Gweh found the back of the net for the first time this season after scoring three goals last year.
- Graham tallied his first point of the year with his assist on the match-winner – his third career assist.
- Valpo out-shot CSU 13-8 and put five shots on goal to the Vikings’ three. Senior Nico Campbell (Kingston, Jamaica/St. George’s College) made a pair of saves to earn the win.
- The Crusaders earned their first Horizon League wins in consecutive road matches since wins at Wright State and Loyola in October of 2011.
Thoughts From Head Coach Mike Avery
“It was a tremendous performance by the guys tonight, on the road, and against a very good Cleveland State team. I was interested to see what kind of response we might have after losing just a few days ago at Ohio State with what was clearly not our best performance, and was very pleased to see the boys bounce right back with what might have been our best performance to date this season. That's a sign of character, and the character of this group is something I've never questioned.”
Next Up
The Crusaders (3-2-2, 2-0-1 Horizon) close out their stretch of four straight matches on the road with a non-league contest Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 27, at Eastern Illinois. A link for live stats for the match against the Panthers will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
Crusaders Compete at Flames Invitational This Weekend
The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team finished play Saturday at the Flames Invitational in Chicago, Ill. The Crusaders began play yesterday, Friday, Sept. 23, and won three opening round matches before winning a pair of additional matches on Saturday to finish the weekend off.
How It Happened
- The doubles team of junior Kathleen Hebble (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) and senior Paige Heuer (Munster, Ind./Munster) won both their matches Friday in two rounds of play for the Crusaders. The pair defeated Natalie Grieve and Alexi Loomis from Cardinal Stritch University 7-5. For the next match, the duo defeated Bianca Zuzu and Miranda Rodriguez from UIC, 7-5, to finish the day 2-0.
- Hebble came back from a first set defeat today of 2-6, to win her next two seats and win the consolation final of her bracket, 6-2 and 10-7 against Livia Hollosy from CSU.
- Sophomore Halle Roach (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) defeated Jessica Pool of CSU 6-1 and 6-2 to win the consolation final in her bracket today.
- For Valparaiso on Friday, sophomore Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) won her match against Jessica Pool from CSU, 6-3 and 6-4.
Next Up
Valpo travels to Western Michigan on Friday, Oct. 7 for the start of the Bronco Invitational. Play is slated to take place from Friday through Sunday.
Valpo Tops Davidson, Enjoys Homecoming Victory
The Valparaiso University football team defeated Davidson 24-20 in Saturday’s Homecoming game at Brown Field. Freshman Cody Boxrucker (West Chester, Ohio / Badin) ran for two touchdowns on five carries, while sophomore Drew Snouffer (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) totaled 11 tackles to pace the defense.
How It Happened
- Davidson struck first when Trevor Smith hit a 39-yard field goal with 11:06 left in the first quarter. Then, Valpo scored the game’s first touchdown when Ryan Clarke (Hopatcong, N.J. / Hopatcong) hooked up with Jean Rene (Delray Beach, Fla. / Wellington Community) for a 19-yard completion with 4:49 left in the first quarter to cap a 12-play, 74-yard drive spanning 6:08.
- Smith made another field goal with 56 seconds left in the first to cut Valpo’s lead to 7-6.
- Davidson took the lead on a 60-yard TD toss from Taylor Mitchell to Cam Cheuvront with 8:42 left in the second quarter.
- Boxrucker’s first TD run came with 5:28 left in the second quarter to put Valpo in front 14-13, then Jake Simpson (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt) converted a 33-yard field goal with 1:08 to go before halftime.
- Kye Hall (New Smyrna Beach, Fla. / New Smyrna) provided one of the day’s defensive highlights in the third quarter when he forced a Davidson fumble and made the recovery at midfield. That turnover led to a scoring drive that culminated with Boxrucker bulldozing into the end zone from 2 yards out to build Valpo’s lead to 11.
- Davidson trimmed the deficit to four by scoring with 12:29 left in the fourth, but neither team scored for the remainder of the game. Valpo took possession with 5:48 to play following a punt by the Wildcats and proceeded to run out the clock, gaining a trio of first downs to close out the victory.
Inside the Game
- The Crusaders have won consecutive games for the first time since 2007. They last opened Pioneer Football League play with a win in 2013.
- With Saturday’s win, Valpo is off to its best four-game start to a season since 2007.
- The Crusaders are 3-1 on Homecoming in the last four years.
- Jarrett Morgan (Cooper City, Fla. / Cooper City) surpassed 100 yards rushing for the second straight week, totaling 108 on 25 carries.
- Clarke, who returned to the field after missing last week’s game with an injury, went 17-for-26 through the air for 176 yards and one TD.
- Frank Catrine (Springboro, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) made a team-high six catches, while Griffin Norberg (Sunrise Fla. / Western) led the way with 51 receiving yards.
- Rene’s touchdown catch was his fourth of the season, all in the last three games. Rene, only a sophomore, has caught nine touchdown passes in his Valpo career.
- Valpo did not throw an interception in a game for the first time since Nov. 22, 2014, also against Davidson. The Crusaders did not commit a turnover on Saturday, marking the first time they played turnover free since Oct. 12, 2013 against Mercer.
- All five turnovers forced by the Valpo defense this season have led to Crusader touchdowns on the ensuing possession.
- The four-point margin made this the closest game Valpo has played since a two-point loss to William Jewell in 2013.
Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Cecchini
“We made mistakes, but we were able to overcome those. In past years, we would not have had the same composure. I credit the experience of this team. We’re not as young as we were a year ago. We’re still not a veteran group of guys yet, which is a really good thought when we look long-term. Three starters on defense were all out for this game, and we were able to respond. That’s a credit to how far this football team has come. Is this the turning point? We hope so, we really do. Now, we’re playing with confidence and we’ll get a couple of these injured players back in the coming weeks. We can use this game as a springboard to launch us into a very successful league season.”
Next Up
The Crusaders (2-2, 1-0 PFL) hit the road next week as they travel to Morehead, Ken. to clash with Morehead State (1-3, 0-1 PFL). The game is slated to begin at noon Central Time, and can be heard live on WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso). Links for the live audio, as well as live stats, will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
Volleyball Falls in League Opener
After splitting the first two sets of its Horizon League opener Friday evening, the Valparaiso University volleyball team battled deep into extra points with Green Bay in the third set, but the Phoenix prevailed to take the lead and carried the momentum into the fourth set to deal the Crusaders a 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 30-28, 25-17) setback.
How It Happened
- The opening set was a set of runs both ways, with both squads putting together multiple sustained runs. With the lead cut to two points at 16-14, the Crusaders scored the next four points in a row to push the advantage to 20-14 before Green Bay responded with seven straight points to pull ahead.
- The two squads traded the next seven points, with a Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) kill making it 24-all. Zaleski followed with another kill to give Valpo set point, and a Green Bay error ended the opener in the Crusaders’ favor.
- Green Bay scored nine consecutive points in the middle stages of the second set to pull away en route to evening the match at one set apiece.
- The Phoenix looked to have control leading 22-18 late in set three, but Valpo would score six of the next seven points – including a pair of kills by Jamie Lacheta (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw) – to earn the set point chance at 24-23 following a Zaleski kill.
- A kill by the Phoenix forced extra points, and both squads had chances to grab the momentum from there. Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) tallied a kill to hold off Green Bay’s first set point opportunity, followed by a block from Rachel Bruinsma (New Era, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) and Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) to go ahead 26-25.
- A service error once again evened up the set, and Green Bay earned each of the next three set point chances. Kills by Carlson kept the Crusaders alive on the first two, but the Phoenix finished the set with a kill to earn the 30-28 win and pull ahead.
- Valpo led in the opening stages of the fourth set, but Green Bay scored four consecutive points early to take the lead for good in closing out the match.
Inside the Match
- Green Bay only tallied six more kills than the Crusaders over the four sets, but Valpo hit just .069 as it committed 34 attack errors – including 11 blocks by the Phoenix.
- Carlson paced Valpo with 13 kills and also finished with 10 digs. Lacheta came up one kill short of her career high, posting 11 kills, while Graboski added 10.
- Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) paced Valpo in the back row with 26 digs, leaving her just 60 digs shy of third place in program history. Lexie Bouza (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central) added 14 digs as well as the Crusaders out-dug Green Bay, 71-66.
Next Up
The Crusaders (6-9, 0-1 Horizon) continue Horizon League play Saturday afternoon at UIC at 4 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app, with links for the live video and live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.
