The Valparaiso men’s soccer team played its second of two exhibition matches Monday evening at Brown Field, finishing in a 1-1 draw with Lewis. The Crusaders open up regular season action Friday night at Kentucky, facing a Wildcats squad which is receiving votes in the NSCAA preseason top-25 poll.

Valpo controlled much of Monday night’s fixture, holding the better of possession while out-shooting Lewis 15-2 and earning five corner kicks to the Flyers’ none. The Crusaders scored their goal early on in the fourth minute, as a Jordan Aidoud (Lyon, France/CEFAM) corner kick was knocked into the back of the net by a Lewis defender for an own goal. The Flyers leveled the match on a strike from Juan Elizalde in the 29^th minute.

Playing their final competitive match of the preseason, head coach Mike Avery took the opportunity to get plenty of players on the field Monday night. 21 Crusaders in all saw action on Monday, with only one player going the full 90 minutes. Of Valpo’s 21 players, nine are newcomers to the Crusader program this season. In goal, a pair of players split time, as junior Nico Campbell (Kingston, Jamaica/St. George’s College) played the first half, while freshman Nacho Miras (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain/Nuestra Semora del Pilar) took the final 45 minutes.

Valparaiso opens the regular season with a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats earned four points in the NSCAA’s preseason top-25 polling.