A goal by senior Jaymie Bullard (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) in the 79th minute equalized Valparaiso's match Saturday night at Brown Field against Green Bay, and the Crusaders and Phoenix ended the night with a 1-1 draw.
Fellow senior Stipo Zeba (Brookfield, Ill./Morton West) fed Bullard in the middle of the field, about 25 yards out from goal. Bullard struck a shot along the ground which found the back of the net, inside the left post, to tie the game at one. The goal was Bullard's first of the year, while Zeba's helper also was his first of the season.
The Crusaders dominated the first half of play, out-shooting the Phoenix 9-1, but the first three quarters of an hour ended scoreless. Green Bay claimed the lead in the 59th minute, as Jordan Dover tapped in at the left post following a cross along the ground from Alonso Flores.
Knotted at one, the game entered extra time. Valpo had the best chances in the opening overtime period, as junior Jesse Ortiz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora [Benedictine]) had a shot saved by Green Bay goalkeeper Ryan Wehking, while sophomore Eric Nieto (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Louisville Collegiate [Ky.]) had an effort blocked over the end line with just seconds remaining.
The second overtime session saw both sides have multiple quality scoring changes. The Phoenix had the better of the early part of the period, as Alonso Flores had a pair of chances from close range in the opening 90 seconds, both of which were turned away by fifth-year senior goalkeeper Kyle Zobeck (Coralville, Iowa/Iowa City West).
Valpo then pushed forward, with three shots on goal over a span of 3:30, all of which were saved by Wehking. Green Bay had a shot off the mark with 15 seconds left, and the Crusaders had one final surge, resulting in a foul called just outside the box with one second remaining and the clock stopped. Junior Todd Vervynckt (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) lined up over the kick, but his attempt rang off the crossbar as time expired.
Zobeck stopped five shots in the draw, while Wehking made nine saves for Green Bay (2-7-3, 0-2-2 Horizon). Valpo ended the night with a 24-8 shot advantage over the Phoenix and also attempted three of the game's four corner kicks.
Valparaiso (1-6-3, 0-1-2 Horizon) steps out of league play on Tuesday afternoon as the Crusaders travel up to Chicago to take on DePaul. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m., and live stats can be accessed through www.valpoathletics.com.
