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MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State sophomore forward Devan Jordan came off the bench to score two goals, including the game winner in overtime, to propel the soccer Eagles to a 2-1 win over visiting Valparaiso Friday night. Jordan’s efforts helped give new MSU head coach Warren Lipka a victory in his debut, and it marked the first season opening victory for the Eagle program since the 2005 season.
Jordan, coming off a freshman season where she netted six goals and handed out five assists, scored twice on efficient offensive maneuvers. After the Eagles fell behind at the half 1-0, she ignited MSU in the 61st minute with the game tying goal on a breakaway and then took a pass and beat her defender in the 97th minute to push the Eagles to the win. Jordan’s two shots were her only two of the night, and she made both count.
“In the first half, we were trying some different people in different positions, and it really didn’t work,” said Lipka. “I thought though in the second half, we found the right combination, and Devan made two brilliant moves to score goals. It was nice to get a win, but we have a lot to work on as well.”
The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute as Trisha Wladecki found herself alone behind the Eagle defense. She took an entry pass from Jackie Kondratko and slammed a shot past MSU goalkeeper Lily Meisner to the lower right side of the net. Valpo’s defensive unit limited the Eagles to only two shots in the first 45 minutes, while the Crusaders managed to get off eight.
In the second half, Lipka made a few lineup and field adjustments and it paid off. Jordan made a slick move to beat several defenders and raced toward the goal in the 61st minute. She crushed a shot past Crusader keeper Mele Cabral for the equalizer.
Valpo continued to find ways to attack the Eagle end of the field. In the second half, the Crusaders out-shot MSU again 7-5, but the final shot-on-goal tally had MSU with a 4-3 advantage. For the match, Valpo had 16 total shots to the Eagles’ eight.
In the overtime period, Valpo got a shot off toward Meisner, but it sailed high. Just two minutes later, MSU senior Lauren Seebach fed Jordan, and she was able to weave her way to the net again where she put the game-winner past Cabral.
Neither team was whistled for a multitude of fouls during the 97 minute contest. In fact, only nine total fouls were called, and neither team was able to generate opportunities on corner kicks either. MSU had three chances, while Valpo only had one kick from the corner pocket.
Morehead State is back in action at home at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23 when Georgia State visits Jayne Stadium.
