Crusaders Blank IUPUI to Open Mid-Con Season with Win
Friday, September 27, 2002
Valparaiso scored once each half on its way to a 2-0 shutout of IUPUI on Friday afternoon at Eastgate Field in the Mid-Continent Conference opener for both schools.

The Crusaders got on the scoreboard in the 16th minute as Mickey Miller (Tulsa, Okla./Bartlesville H.S.) chipped a ball up over a goalkeeper Drew Deffner and into the net following a scramble in the box. Miller picked up the ball after it deflected off of a Jaguar for his first goal of the season.

Valpo outshot IUPUI 10-3 in the opening half, which saw 17 IUPUI fouls and just five called on the Crusaders.

Nate Hyde (South Bend, Ind./Clay H.S.) added his first collegiate goal at the 64:52 mark to add an insurance goal for the Brown and Gold. He took a feed from Oliver Sanders (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Notre Dame H.S.) and blasted the shot just inside the net at the far post.

Jeff Oleck (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral H.S.) recorded four saves for his third shutout of the season for Valpo. Deffner and Dave Palmer each made two saves between the pipes for IUPUI.

Valpo (3-5-1, 1-0 Mid-Con) outshot the Jaguars 17-12 for the match, but IUPUI (0-8-1, 0-1) held a 6-1 advantage on corner kicks. IUPUI had 29 fouls to the Crusaders 20.

Valparaiso will return to action next Friday, Oct. 4 when the Brown and Gold hosts Oral Roberts in a 4 p.m. match at Eastgate Field.