Valparaiso University

The Valpo soccer team looked poised to capture its first victory of the 2026 campaign Sunday in a hot and humid contest at SIUE, but the hosts found the back of the net with 10 seconds to play to bring the contest to a close as a 2-2 draw.
 
How It Happened

• The match stayed scoreless in the 25^th minute as Kiara Desiderio (St. John, Ind./Hanover Central) showed her defensive chops, heading a ball off the line off a shot from a corner kick.
• Valpo claimed the lead in the 34^th minute on a set piece. Sofia Raco (Mississauga, Ont./Holy Name of Mary College School) took a corner kick from the right side and sent the ball to the top middle of the box, where Daisy Boardman (Warrington, England/Bridgwater) found herself open for a right-footed volley into the upper-right corner of the net.
• Four minutes later, the match entered a delay for lightning which lasted around 45 minutes, and coming out of the delay, the momentum had shifted towards the Cougars. In the final eight minutes of the first half, SIUE had three shots — two of which were saved by Adria Schultz (Toronto, Ont./Michael Power – St. Joseph) — and three corner kicks.
• After the halftime break, SIUE continued to pressure, getting a pair of early corner kicks and forcing Schultz to make two more saves and the Beacons to clear another ball off the line. The Cougars eventually broke through in the 52^nd minute, as Zeniyah Russell found the back of the net.
• SIUE continued to pressure throughout the second half, but the Beacons were able to keep the Cougars from gaining the lead — thanks in part to Boardman making a save of her own on the line in the 67^th minute.
• Valpo came up with what looked like it would be the match-winner in the 81^st minute. Alyssa Thomas (Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee [Wright State]) got enough room down the left flank to send a cross along the ground into the box. Desiderio took possession in the center of the box with her back to goal, eight yards out, and turned and fired home emphatically to give the Beacons a 2-1 lead.
• With seconds to play, SIUE had one final push. Schultz made an initial save on a shot from Claire Nieroda, but her parry landed directly at the foot of Carson Bohnenstiehl, came off her foot and looped just over the goal line with 10 seconds left on the clock to equalize.

 
Inside the Match

• Boardman's goal was her first collegiate tally, coming in the 50^th match of her Beacon career.
• On the flip side, Desiderio found the back of the net for the eighth time in 19 collegiate matches.
• Thomas' assist on Desiderio's goal was the third of her collegiate career and her second in the Valpo uniform, while Raco's assist came just two matches into her freshman campaign.
• This is the first time since Oct. 13, 2024 that the Beacons have not won a match in which they scored at least two goals, drawing 3-3 that day against Evansville.
• Valpo is 30-0-3 in its last 33 matches scoring at least two goals.
• SIUE held an 18-10 advantage in shots, an 11-7 edge in shots on goal and an 11-4 advantage in corner kicks.
• Schultz made seven saves in her second collegiate start, while the Beacons had the pair of team saves as well credited to Desiderio and Boardman.
• This was just the second meeting in program history between Valpo and SIUE — ironically, the other previous matchup came back in 2008, which was the first season as head coach for both John Marovich and SIUE gaffer Derek Burton.
• Sunday's start time was pushed up three hours to 10 a.m. due to forecasted heat and humidity during the afternoon hours, which led to the first-half lightning delay — both of the Beacons' games on opening weekend were affected by lightning, as the start of Thursday's opener was pushed back a half hour as well.

 
Thoughts From Coach Marovich
"I'm pleased with the chances we created in the attacking third during the first 30 minutes, similar to what we did on Thursday. Daisy had a really quality first-time volley off the corner kick to put us up 1-0."
 
"Conceding early in the second half didn't set us back, and that again shows the mentality of this group. We responded well and found another goal through Kiara on a really good service into the box."
 
"Unfortunately, one-goal games can have frantic endings, and we gave up the equalizer in the final seconds. That's something we'll learn from and continue to develop as a team."
 
"These moments early in the season are really valuable as we prepare for MVC play. We've had a lot of good individual performances and have continued to create quality chances, so this weekend has been an important step in the development of our team."
 
Next Up
Valpo (0-1-1) comes back to Brown Field for its home opener Thursday evening, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. against Western Illinois.