Crusaders Third Heading into Final Round of League Championships
The Valparaiso University men’s golf team currently stands in third place in the Horizon League Championships with 18 holes remaining. The Crusaders stroked a 308 in Round 2 and currently sit at 605 (+29) through 36 holes. Valpo is seven strokes back of second-place Oakland and nine strokes behind first-place Cleveland State.
How It Happened
- Nick Seitz (Xenia, Ohio / Carroll) had the strongest round of any Crusader by carding a 74 on Monday. He is currently tied for sixth overall at 149.
- Peter Webb (Madison, Wis. / James Madison Memorial) stroked a 77 in Round 2 to bring his total score to 150, which is tied for 12th.
- Michael Doherty (Lisle, Ill. / Naperville North) turned in a 79 to finish the second day of competition at 154, tied for 18th. He’s followed closely by Mitchell Wittmann (Kaukauna, Wis. / Kaukauna), who is at 155 (T-20) after two rounds.
- Zach Cutler (O’Fallon, Mo. / Timberland) made a two-stroke improvement from his first round, posting a 78 in Round 2 to finish the second day at 158, tied for 28th.
Inside the Round
- The Crusaders have performed well on Par 4 holes as they are averaging 4.27 on Par 4s, third among teams in the field.
- Valpo has 109 total pars, second to only Cleveland State.
- Wittmann has been strong on Par 3 holes (3.13), while Seitz (4.63) has been a standout on Par 5s.
- Wittmann has 25 pars, second most of all participants, while Seitz leads the team in birdies with six.
Standings – Through Round 2
1 1 Cleveland State 294 302 596 +20
3 2 Oakland 301 297 598 +22
2 3 Valparaiso Univ. 297 308 605 +29
4 4 Detroit Mercy 302 307 609 +33
7 5 Green Bay 310 302 612 +36
5 6 Wright State 303 311 614 +38
8 7 Youngstown State 319 309 628 +52
6 8 Northern Kentucky 307 327 634 +58
Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Gring
"Our shot execution was not very sharp today and we put ourselves in some more difficult positions on holes. It was evident with five more double-bogeys than yesterday and too many three putt greens."
"We didn't start the round well, with four double-bogeys and three bogeys in the first three holes. It wasn't an issue of the guys feeling tight; the shot execution was poor and we put ourselves in some tough positions off the tee."
"We played the Par 3s much better on the back nine, but we struggled with the Par 5s on the back nine. We played decent through the middle of the round and we need to start and finish the round better tomorrow."
"We are looking forward to the final round of the tournament tomorrow. It's good to be in the final group and the guys are excited to give it their best on the final day."
Up Next The Crusaders will close out the Horizon League Championships with Round 3 on Tuesday at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. A link to live scoring is available on ValpoAthletics.com.
Valpo Men’s Soccer Announces 2016-17 Award Winners
The Valparaiso University men’s soccer team wrapped the 2017 spring season in style and with a flair for the dramatic, as the Crusaders found two goals in the final 15 minutes to top the Valparaiso Alumni Team 4-3 in an exciting match on Sunday afternoon at Brown Field. With the win, the Crusaders finish the spring with a record of 7-1, with the only loss a 2-1 defeat back in February at Indiana University. Now, the team turns its attention to putting the final pieces in place in anticipation of the fall 2017 season.
Following the match, the team gathered in the locker room to honor the senior class and to announce the 2016-2017 Valparaiso Men’s Soccer Award Winners.
2016-17 Defensive MVP
Nico Campbell (GK; Kingston, Jamaica)
Campbell finished his Valpo career with 22 shutouts, one shy of matching Kyle Zobeck’s program record. He was an important piece on a Valpo side that tied the program record for wins in a single season with 10 in 2016. Campbell was named Horizon League all-second team as a senior. He posted an 0.93 goals against average while racking up 57 saves and notching seven clean sheets this year. Campbell has taken his game to the next level, as he now plays professionally with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League.
2016-17 Offensive MVP
Isaiah Madrid (M; Albuquerque, N.M.)
Madrid finished the year with 10 goals and 25 points. He led the Horizon League in points and tied for the league lead in goals. Madrid was the sixth Valpo player to score double-figure goals in a single season and first to reach 25 points in the last 25 years. He finished his illustrious career with 15 goals and 37 points in just two seasons. Madrid received recognition from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America following the season, becoming the second Valpo player named to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team, joining Kyle Zobeck (2011). In addition to hauling in all-region recognition, Madrid achieved a place on the all-Horizon League First Team this year.
2016-17 TS11 Award
Omar Lawrence (D; Kingston, Jamaica)
Perhaps the most prestigious award given annually by the Valpo soccer program is the TS11 Award. The TS11 Award honors the player who best represents the core values of the program, and who is the embodiment of the ideal teammate. In addition to being an outstanding teammate and strong leader, Lawrence also stood out with his play on the pitch. He received first-team all-league and All-Great Lakes Region First Team following a stellar senior campaign for the Crusaders. He was a steady presence on defense and chipped in two goals this year.
2016-17 VUMSO Supporter’s Award
Nancy Scannell, Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Scannell has been an instrumental figure in the lives of many of the Valparaiso men’s soccer players during their time on campus. In her role as Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, Professor Scannell has helped with degree planning for many of the program’s players who joined as transfers. With a helpful spirit, sage advice, vast institutional knowledge and a kind and common sense approach to finding each individual the right path to the degree that will help shape their future, Professor Scannell has been a strong advocate for the student-athlete and is well deserving of this honor.
“Nancy is a good friend to me, and one of the people I can always count on in the University community to help in any way she can – and as talented as she is in her job, we are fortunate she has a lot of help to give,” Valpo head coach Mike Avery said. “Many of our players have come here as transfers, and each with a unique credit history based on their academic work at other universities. Transferring credits is never a simple proposition, and we sometimes need advice on selecting an academic path at Valparaiso that accomplishes what the student wants to get out of the undergraduate experience while aligning with University policy and the NCAA guidelines. Nancy is a pro, and she really offers her expertise with the aim to help. We are blessed to have her on our team, and we are very proud to honor her this year.”
2016-17 VUMSO Alumni Award
Ken Kirleis, ‘02
Ken Kirleis played for the Crusaders from 1998-2001 and has since been a proud, passionate and engaged supporter of his program. Kirleis, who starred at Valparaiso High School for Valparaiso University’s first ever head coach Danny Jeftich, now resides in Granger, Ind. and works as a medical sales representative for Stryker.
“We are thrilled to honor Kenny with this year’s alumni award,” Avery said.
“One of the greatest things about our program is, despite not having a very long history in comparison to some other Division I college programs, we do have a terrific alumni group that follows along with the team’s progress. Guys who played for different coaches and in different eras still feel a part of the program today – as they should. Ken plays a big role in helping us maintain that connection with his era of player. He has a great group of friends who were teammates. They remain very close, and all have made their presence felt as alums. Ken was one of the first donors to our locker sponsor program, and I can always count on him to be present at a few games per year. I’ve also appreciated his willingness to help our recent graduates when it comes to job placement and career advice. Our program has been built on using soccer as a vehicle to teach life lessons and to make lifelong friendships, and Ken models that for our current players very well.”
Shoemake, Curtis Lead Team in Round 2 of League Championships
The Valparaiso University women’s golf team received sub-80 rounds from a pair of underclassmen on the second day of the Horizon League Championships at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. on Monday. Freshman Tiffany Curtis (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) turned in a 79, eclipsed by only one teammate – sophomore Kylie Shoemake (Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central), who stroked a 78.
How It Happened
- Shoemake’s day allowed her to take over the team lead with a 159 through two rounds. She currently stands in a tie for 14th overall.
- Curtis made a two-stroke improvement from her first round to finish Day 2 at 160, which places her at T-17.
- Seniors Angie Kim (Schaumberg, Ill. / Fremd) and Sydney Shrum (Cloverdale, Ind. / Cloverdale) both notched 81s on the second day of competition. Shrum’s score marked a six-stroke improvement from her first round. Kim sits in 19th at 161, while Shrum is tied for 30th at 168.
- Madison McCreary (Batesville, Ind. / Batesville) is in 35th at 173 through 36 holes.
Inside the Round
- The Crusaders have 11 birdies, five of which have come from Curtis. The only other Crusader with multiple birdies is Shrum with three.
- Kim led the Crusaders with 21 pars, as Valpo ranks fourth in total pars at 87.
- Kim thrived on Par 4 holes, averaging 4.45, while Shoemake’s strength is Par 3s at 3.25.
Standings – Through Round 2
4 1 Cleveland State 319 302 621 +45
1 2 Northern Kentucky 304 318 622 +46
3 3 Youngstown State 315 310 625 +49
2 4 Oakland 312 316 628 +52
7 5 Detroit Mercy 327 315 642 +66
T5 6 Valparaiso 324 319 643 +67
T5 7 Illinois-Chicago 324 332 656 +80
8 8 Green Bay 342 322 664 +88
Thoughts from Head Coach Jon Haas
“Once again we got four really solid scores today. Kylie and Tiffany continue to play well on the biggest stage of the year. I’m also really impressed with the way Sydney bounced back from yesterday’s round.”
Up Next The Crusaders will close out the Horizon League Championships with Round 3 on Tuesday at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. A link to live scoring is available on ValpoAthletics.com.
Foreman Wins Horizon League Pitcher of the Week After Shutting Down Wright State
Fifth-year senior Ellis Foreman (Round Rock, Texas / Stony Point) made his first start of the season one to remember on Sunday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.
Foreman shut down perennial Horizon League powerhouse Wright State to the tune of a complete game shutout – scattering seven hits, racking up 11 strikeouts and issuing no walks in Valpo’s most impressive pitching performance of the season. He earned the win to up his record to 2-1 on the year as the Crusaders knocked off the Raiders 9-0.
This wasn’t the first time Foreman had an impressive outing against the Raiders, as he held them scoreless over nine innings on May 11, 2014 while also striking out 11, but Wright State won that game 1-0 in 12 innings. Sunday’s outing was Foreman’s first career complete game.
Foreman also became the first Valpo pitcher to go the distance in a start this season. He became the first Crusader to achieve a complete game shutout since Dalton Lundeen on May 19 of last season against Youngstown State. He is also the first Crusader to win league Pitcher of the Week honors since Lundeen following that performance.
Foreman previously won the Pitcher of the Week award on May 16, 2016 after throwing eight scoreless frames against Oakland. This is his third career Pitcher of the Week distinction as he also won following his aforementioned performance against Wright State in 2014.
The Crusaders visit Notre Dame on Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. CT. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.
