Soccer Falls to UIC in Home Finale
The Valpo soccer team brought its 2024 home slate to a close on Brown Field Thursday evening, falling 1-0 to visiting UIC.
How It Happened
– With the match a bit open early on, the Beacons found themselves with a pair of good looks early, but shots in the first six minutes from senior Sam Gountounas (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) and freshman Ashley Trippeer (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) were stopped by UIC goalkeeper Francesca Faraci.
– The match settled down and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Kate Sheridan (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) did what she needed to do to keep the Flames off the board, making a pair of first-half saves as the match reached halftime scoreless.
– Valpo had a strong scoring opportunity early in the second half as well, as the Flames committed a foul on 25 yards out from goal and straight on, but the effort from senior Addy Joiner (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) was saved by Faraci.
– Quick reactions from Sheridan helped prevent a potential own goal midway through the second half, while a 69th-minute shot from Camryn Ries hit off the crossbar.
– UIC broke through in the 71st minute, as a cross was directed into the net by a Valpo defender for what proved to be the match’s lone goal.
Inside the Match
– UIC finished with a 16-7 advantage in shot attempts, but put just two of their efforts on goal to Valpo’s four.
– Joiner appeared in her 77th career match in the Brown and Gold Thursday, moving her into a tie for seventh place in program history.
– Five seniors saw action for the final time on Brown Field.
Thoughts From Coach Marovich
“Tonight, I’m not looking at the result, because results are what other people want to see. What I watched tonight was our program playing at the level and the standard that we have. There was great energy, there was great intensity. We had really good execution in our tactics, created some really good chances on goal, and had so many really good performances. Sometimes when you have a young group and a group that has gone through what they’ve gone through, you lose that ability to see what maybe you didn’t see before. Tonight, they saw and felt what we have been talking about and seeing all year. Now they see it, and now they feel it. That is why I’m excited about this team, why I’m excited about these players, because tonight they saw what we saw for a long time.”
“I think Kate Jeffery had a great shift in the midfield — she did a great job controlling tempo and rhythm. Our ability to find our forwards in the creative gap space led to our ability to get forward and create chances. Our back line did a great job heading balls out of the box, clearing balls when necessary, trying to possess and progress out of the back when they could.”
Next Up
Valpo (4-12-1, 0-8-1 MVC) closes out the 2024 campaign at Missouri State on Sunday afternoon at noon.