Complete PDF Notes

Match #14: Friday, Oct. 12, 3:30 p.m. CDT

Milwaukee (7-3-3, 1-0-1 Horizon)

at Valpo (7-6, 1-2 Horizon)

Match #15: Sunday Oct. 14, 1 p.m. CDT

Green Bay (2-10, 2-3 Horizon)

at Valpo (7-6, 1-2 Horizon)

This Week in Crusader Soccer: Valparaiso wraps up the 2007 home schedule this weekend as the Crusaders entertain Milwaukee and Green Bay in a pair of key Horizon League matches on Friday and Sunday. Following this weekend’s action, the Brown and Gold will have just three matches left in the regular season. PLEASE NOTE: FRIDAY’S MATCH AGAINST MILWAUKEE IS NOW A 3:30 P.M. START.

On the Air: Both Friday’s match against Milwaukee and Sunday’s contest against Green Bay will be carried live by WVUR (95.1-FM, Valparaiso) and online at www.valpo.edu/athletics. Students will be providing both the play-by-play and color commentary.

Series Notes: Milwaukee has won all seven of the previous meetings against the Crusaders, but the two schools have not met since the Panthers posted a 4-1 victory on November 1, 2002 in Milwaukee. Valpo is 0-3 against the Panthers at Eastgate Field. Green Bay holds an 8-0 edge all-time, last defeating Valpo 3-2 in overtime on October 21, 2001 at Eastgate Field. The Phoenix are 4-0 all-time in Valpo.

Scouting Milwaukee: The Panthers enter the weekend at the top the Horizon League standings and are unbeaten in their last seven matches (4-0-3). Last weekend, Milwaukee battled Iowa to a scoreless draw before downing Youngstown State 2-1. Erin Kreuser leads the Panthers with 10 points on two goals and six assists. Nicole Sperl is the team’s goal scoring leader with three and has eight total points. Erin Kane has allowed just six goals on the year between the posts, notching a 0.43 goals against average, an .870 save mark, and seven shutouts.

Scouting Green Bay: The Phoenix have split their last four matches following a 4-2 victory over Youngstown State and a 4-0 loss to Drake last weekend. Green Bay has scored just eight goals on the year with Lotte Rasmussen and Amanda Stinson leading the way with a pair each. Chelsea Lyons also has four points with a goal and two assists. In goal, Brooke Wikgren has tallied a 2.06 goals against average and a .747 save percentage in nearly 1,100 minutes.

Wrapping Up Last Week’s Action: Valpo opened Horizon League road play last Tuesday evening dropping a 3-0 decision at Loyola. The Ramblers scored twice in the first five minutes of the match on the way to the victory. Friday, Valpo earned its first Horizon League win, downing Detroit 2-0. Kendall Brown had a goal and an assist while Brittany Derksen scored the match-winner in the 14th minute.

Valpo Looks for Record-Setting Home Season: Valparaiso enters the final home weekend with six victories already at Eastgate Field. With one win this weekend the Crusaders will tie the school mark for home wins in a year (2005, 7-1) while two triumphs will help set a new mark.

Anthony Earns Win #75: Head coach Stephen Anthony recorded his 75th career victory, as well as his 75th win on the Valparaiso bench, last Friday against Detroit.

Pappas Adds to Assist Total: Lynnea Pappas dished out an assist on Valpo’s second goal against Detroit for her third helper of the year. The rookie is now tied for third on the team with five points.

Murray Keeps Adding to Shutout Record: Erin Murray recorded her fourth shutout this season against Detroit, giving her 18 for her career. Her school record is the most clean sheets for any Crusader, male or female, in school history. The four shutouts this year already tie for fourth on the school’s single season charts.

Thomas Makes Goals Count: Jackie Thomas currently leads the Crusaders in scoring with four goals, all of which have resulted in match-winners for Valpo. Her four match-winners are tied with Lori Moore (2000 and 2001) and Lori Johnson (2006) for the most in a single season in Crusader history. In addition, Thomas now has five career victors, tied for fourth all-time.

More Winners: Lori Johnson is third in school history with six match-winning goals over the course of her career while Kendall Brown is just one match-winner behind, as her five markers are tied for fourth on the all-time list with Jackie Thomas. Brittany Derksen joined Brown and Thomas with five career match-winner following her second of the year against Detroit.

Senior Day on Sunday: Sunday’s match against Green Bay will mark the final regular season home contest for seniors Lauren Cooper, Brittany Derksen, Erin Murray, Courtney Rahrig, Britta Zewers, and Sonney Ziegahn. The six have won 41 matches over the past four years, as well as a pair of Mid-Continent Conference regular season titles. In addition, they have won a tournament championship helping Valpo make its first trip ever to the NCAA Tournament.

Five Among Scoring Elite: Valparaiso currently has five players among the top-10 in school history on the all-time goal scoring list. Junior Kendall Brown has moved into fourth all-time with 16 goals while classmate Lori Johnson is alone in sixth place with 12 for her career. Sophomore Sarah Jewell has moved into a tie for seventh on the scoring charts after posting goal number 11 earlier this season. Brittany Derksen now has nine career goals, moving into ninth place alone while Jackie Thomas is tied for tenth in school laurels with eight tallies.

Brown, McGlone, and Murphy Tied for Seventh on All-Time Assist Charts: Kendall Brown, Dana McGlone, and Laura Murphy each are in a tie for seventh place on Valpo’s career assist list. The trio each have seven helpers during their career wearing the Brown and Gold.

Brown, Johnson, and Jewell Among Points Leaders: Kendall Brown ranks fourth in school history with 36 career points. Lori Johnson and Sarah Jewell are both tied for seventh on the same list with their 29 points. Jewell has five points this season.

Home Sweet Home: Valparaiso is 6-2 thus far this season at Eastgate Field, continuing to show how difficult it is for opponents to win on the Crusaders’ home turf. Valpo is now 23-7-1 at home since the start of the 2004 season.

Winning Non-Conference Season Again: Valpo has assured itself of its fourth straight winning season outside of league play. The Crusaders have gone 6-4 this year, and have posted a winning mark outside of conference play every year beginning in 2004.

Michl Scholar-Athlete of the Week: Ani Michl was named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week on October 2 for her efforts both on the field and in the classroom. Michl had two goals against Indiana State for her on the field accolades and in the classroom was an All-Academic Team member in the Mid-Continent Conference last year.

League Race Tight: Midway through the Horizon League standings, the race is tight for homefield in the first round. Valpo, with three points, currently sits in seventh place, but the Crusaders are tied for fourth in the loss column with the top-four teams earning home field in the quarterfinals. Valpo is just one win, or three points, out of third place in the log-jammed league standings.

Balanced Attack for Crusaders: Valparaiso has had nine different goal scorers this season. Valpo, as a team, has tallied 16 goals, with only four players having multi-goal seasons. In addition, 12 different Crusaders have recorded at least one point this year, with seven players having at least one assist.

Valpo Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll: The Crusaders were selected to finish in sixth place in their inaugural season as members of the Horizon League according to the preseason poll conducted of the league’s head coaches. Milwaukee was picked to win the title followed by Loyola and Wright State.