As has been the norm this year throughout MVC soccer play, it was a defensive battle between Valpo and Evansville Wednesday evening in Evansville, Ind. In the end, the teams fought to a 0-0 draw in double overtime, highlighted by a second-half penalty kick save from Valpo goalkeeper Nikki Coryell (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley).

How It Happened

• Evansville out-shot Valpo in the first half, 5-1, and earned three corners to Valpo’s one. The lone shot on goal came from Valpo, however — an effort saved by the Purple Aces’ Michaela Till as the match entered halftime scoreless.
• Perhaps Valpo’s best opportunity to find a goal Wednesday came in the 62^nd minute. A corner kick got all the way to the far post, just a yard or two off the goal line. The battle for control resulted in the Evansville defender on the line being able to clear it away.
• A few minutes later, it looked like Evansville had a golden chance to take the lead, as it was awarded a penalty kick in the 67^th minute. But Coryell was up to the challenge, laying out to her right to knock away the shot just inside the right-hand post to keep it a 0-0 scoreline.
• The teams combined for just one more shot attempt in the final 23 minutes as the match went into extra time.
• The game ended in a scoreless draw as the two sides had just one total shot attempt in the two overtime periods.

Inside the Match

• The draw was Valpo’s fourth of the year, its highest total since posting four draws in the 2014 campaign. That year was also the last time Valpo had three 0-0 draws in the same season.
• Valpo now sits on six points through five MVC matches, just three away from its best total since joining the Valley with three matches remaining.
• The Brown and Gold have four clean sheets through eight matches this year, with Coryell earning all four shutouts. That marks the third-most shutouts by a freshman goalkeeper in program history, with only 2004 Erin Murray (6) and 2010 Kristen Manski (5) ahead of her.
• Coryell joined senior Keegan Maris (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and sophomores Kiley Dugan (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and Nicole Norfolk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) in continuing their respective consecutive starts streaks, as the four have started all eight matches this year. Dugan and Norfolk have started 26 straight matches dating back to last year.
• Maris and Norfolk both went the full 110 minutes on Wednesday and have each played all 800 minutes in the field this year. Norfolk has now played all 2,459 minutes in her career.

Thoughts From Coach Marovich

“I feel like we weren't really on our front foot to start off the game. Our subs came in and gave us exactly what we needed, and I felt like we had a bit of a better performance later in the first half going into the beginning of the season half.”

“I thought Morgan [Metzger], Hannah [Mares] and Natalie [Graf] came in and gave us really good movement up front. Hannah was really good about helping us keep possession and her movement off the ball was good.”

“We couldn't quite find a good rhythm as the game got later - I think we played a bit rushed. But again, we're battling, we're competing, we're giving effort we can be proud of. Every match in the Valley is going to be this way. Getting points on the road is a big deal, and now we've got to keep fighting and find a way to get that goal to make it three points instead of one.”

Next Up

Valpo (2-2-4, 1-1-3 MVC) heads to Waterloo, Iowa to take on UNI Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.