The Valpo soccer team got an immediate response following visiting Western Illinois’ second goal on Friday evening at Brown Field, scoring just 16 seconds after play resumed to make it a one-goal game, but was unable to complete the comeback as the Leathernecks earned a 2-1 victory.

How It Happened

• Junior Abbey Hillman (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central [Loyola]) made a great run back in the 27^th minute to clear what looked to be a certain WIU goal and keep the match scoreless.
• However, mere seconds after Hillman’s clearance, a contested ball in the middle of the field popped to WIU’s Emmy Ellington, whose shot from 20 yards out found the back of the net to give the Leathernecks a 1-0 lead.
• WIU took advantage of a Valpo turnover in the Beacons’ defensive third to make it a 2-0 lead in the 80^th minute, as Kayla Turner picked up the loose ball and eventually scored on a sharp-angle shot into the upper left from the right side.
• Right off the restart, however, Valpo struck right back. Sophomore Lindsey DuSatko (Plainfield, Ill./North) won the ball going forward on the left side and got around a defender on a run towards the end line. Reaching the top of the box, DuSatko crossed in a ball which made its way to the far side, where freshman Addy Joiner (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) was there to corral it. Joiner settled with a left-foot touch and then blasted with her left foot into the open net to cut the deficit to 2-1 just 16 seconds after WIU’s goal.
• That was as close as the Beacons would get, however. Valpo put a pair of shots on goal in the final 10 minutes, but both were handled by WIU goalkeeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez.

Inside the Match

• Joiner’s goal was her second in as many games for the Beacons. She becomes the first Valpo freshman to find the back of the net in consecutive fixtures since Vanesa Abad scored in the 2014 regular season finale and Horizon League Tournament semifinal, both against Green Bay.
• DuSatko’s assist was her second of the season.
• Sophomore Nikki Coryell (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) made a career-high 10 saves in goal in limiting WIU to the two goals.
• The Leathernecks held a 16-7 advantage in the shots department and put 13 on goal to Valpo’s five. WIU also took six corners to just one for the Beacons.

Thoughts From Coach Marovich

“Every game you go into, you want to continue growing as a group and progressing - we have to hold ourselves accountable for results, but not be defined by the results. We want to define ourselves by how we're progressing in our process.”

“The last few games, we faced similar challenges with how our opponents played. Tonight, we faced some different challenges and we were trying to solve the problem the same way we did the last few games. We needed to solve it differently, and we struggled to make that change in the first half.”

“We did a much better job making those adjustments in the second half. We had a number of players come in off the bench late in the first half who had a really good run going on, so we stuck with them to start the second half and they put in a really good shift.”

Next Up

Valpo (2-4-1) closes out pre-conference play on Sunday afternoon as it makes the trip to Bridgeview, Ill. to face Chicago State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., with live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.