Valparaiso (0-0, 0-0 Horizon)
Match #1: Friday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m.
vs. Morehead State (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Brown Field - Valparaiso, Ind.
Match #2: Sunday, Aug. 21, 5 p.m.
vs. IPFW (0-0, 0-0 Summit)
Brown Field - Valparaiso, Ind.
This Week in Crusader Soccer: A three-match homestand to kick off the 2011 season of Valparaiso University women’s soccer opens on Friday evening at Brown Field as the Crusaders host Morehead State. The homestand continues for the Brown and Gold on Sunday as the Crusaders entertain IPFW, also at Brown Field.
On the Air: There will be no live audio of either soccer match this weekend. WVUR’s (95.1-FM, Valparaiso) coverage of Crusader soccer will begin on Aug. 28 with the home match against Evansville. Live stats will be available through www.valpoathletics.com for both matches this weekend though.
Head Coach John Marovich: John Marovich holds a 26-23-9 record both overall and with Valpo in his fourth season at the helm of the Brown and Gold. Just the third head coach in program history, Marovich has the best winning percentage (.526) ever at Valpo, and ranks second in total victories.
Series Notes: Valparaiso and Morehead State are meeting on the pitch for just the second time. The Eagles won the first meeting between the two schools in overtime, 2-1, on Aug. 21, 2009 in the season opener in Morehead, Ky. This is the first meeting in Valparaiso. Valpo holds a 7-2-1 all-time advantage against IPFW in a series that dates back to 2001. The Crusaders have won four straight matches against the Mastodons, including a 4-2 triumph on Sept. 3, 2010 in the last contest between the two Hoosier State foes. Valpo is 4-1 all-time against IPFW at home.
Wrapping Up Exhibition Action: Valpo battled Western Michigan to a 2-2 draw on Aug. 12 in Kalamazoo, Mich. in the season’s first exhibition match. Brooke Henderson scored just before intermission and Catherine Terrell added the equalizer with approximately 10 minutes to play as the match ended in a tie. On Sunday, Aug. 14, Valpo fell 1-0 to Kent State at Eastgate Field to close exhibition action.
Scouting Morehead State: The Eagles batted Indiana State to a 1-1 draw in their only exhibition match of the preseason on Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind. Morehead State, last year’s Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions, were selected to defend their OVC title after posting a 13-7-1 record overall and a 7-0-1 mark in the conference one year ago. Sam Toepfer is the team’s top returning scorer from last season, tallying five goals and 12 total points while Devan Jordan scored four times and added 11 points one year ago. Katie Blevins is the team’s lone returning netminder having seen action in two matches one year ago, posting a 1.90 goals against average.
Scouting IPFW: The Mastodons went 1-0-2 in three exhibition matches, posting a victory over Butler and drawing with Wright State and Eastern Kentucky. IPFW went 7-9-1 overall and 4-4-1 in the Summit League in 2010 and are predicted to finish seventh this season in the preseason poll. Lisa Underwood returns as the team’s leading scorer, tallying six goals and 14 points one year ago. Tara O’Toole added four goals and 11 points. In goal, Kristen McFadden posted a 0.72 goals against average in eight matches and returns for her senior season for the Mastodons.
Valpo in Openers: The Crusaders are 5-13 all-time in season openers. Valpo has won five of its last six openers though after a 3-2 victory at UMKC in 2010. The Crusaders are 3-5 when opening the season at home, winning three straight dating back to 2005. The last time the Crusaders opened a season at home was in 2008 when the Brown and Gold posted a 1-0 triumph over Ball State. Valpo is also 5-13 all-time in home openers after downing Eastern Illinois 1-0 at Brown Field one year ago.
The Earliest Start in Program History: With the season set to kick off on Aug. 19, it will mark the earliest regular season contest in Crusader program history. The earliest previous date to open competition was Aug. 21 in each of the last two years.
Team Captains: Valpo will have co-captains for the 2011 season. Senior Tracy Roos has been named a team captain for the third straight season and will be joined in that role by classmate Brooke Henderson.
Crusaders Picked Seventh in Preseason Poll: The head coaches selected Valparaiso to finish seventh in the Horizon League this season according to the preseason poll. The Crusaders finished tied for seventh in the regular season a year ago with a 5-8-5 overall record and a 1-5-2 mark in league play.
All-League Selections Return: Brooke Henderson and Janine Lytle both earned All-Horizon League Second Team honors for the Crusaders in 2010 and return this year. Henderson, a senior midfield, has nine career points for Valpo and has started 51 of the 56 matches during her career. Lytle, a junior defender, has been the backbone of the Valpo defense, starting all 39 matches during her first two seasons.
Record Book Watch: Luisa Desario ranks seventh in school history with 107 career shot attempts, needing 15 more to match Jackie Kondratko’s (2006-2009) sixth place total of 122. Desario is also tied for ninth all-time with four match-winning goals, one shy of Lisa Springs (1998-2001) for eighth on the all-time list. Kristen Manski is tied for fourth all-time with five career shutouts in goal, two shy of Amy Cavanaugh (1996-1999) for third place.
This and That: Valpo enters the weekend 4-2 all-time at Brown Field ... Senior Casey Pedersen is the team’s top returning scorer from last season with four goals and 10 total points ... Luisa Desario enters 2011 as the team’s active scoring leader with nine goals and 23 points.
