The Valparaiso women’s soccer team dominated the run of play at IPFW Friday night, and the Crusaders finally broke through in the 81^st minute, as junior Rita Craven (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) found the back of the net to give Valpo a 1-0 victory over the Mastodons.

The Crusaders were credited with 30 shot attempts on the evening, fifth-most in a single match in program history.  Meanwhile, IPFW registered just eight shots over the 90 minutes, four of which were on goal.  Redshirt sophomore Sydney Galvez-Daley (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick [Creighton]) stopped all four shots on frame for her fourth shutout of the year.

“I was pleased with our attacking mentality tonight,” said Crusader head coach John Marovich.  “It was very nice to see the level of our possession, with an intent to play combinations to penetrate.  This is a direct result of the work this team has been doing on the training ground.  The goal was a result of patience and outstanding execution.”

Despite all the shot attempts, the game went deep into the second half scoreless, but Craven stepped up in the 81^st minute to make sure it would be the Crusaders going home with the victory.  The junior found the bottom right corner of the net, inside the far post, from 10 yards out for the match-winning goal.  For Craven, it was her fifth career goal, all of which have been match-winners.

“This was a consistent 90 minute performance tonight, and I’m very proud of the entire team for their effort to get a result on the road,” said Marovich.  “These environments help prepare the group for the conference season.”

Valparaiso (2-1-3) returns home to Brown Field on Sunday to face Evansville at 1 p.m.  The match is the first of the home campaign which will be streamed live on the Horizon League Network, and will also be broadcast live on WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso).  Links for the live video, audio and stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.