By: Joey Daniels (@GBJoeyD)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Concluding what was a historic and outstanding season, the Green Bay women's soccer team fell 2-0 at Valparaiso in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals on Thursday night at a windy and cold Brown Field.
The regular-season champion Crusaders (13-1-4) came out on the attack and applied consistent pressure on the Green Bay defense. Valparaiso controlled possession and the flow of the game for the majority of the match, finishing with a 17-4 advantage in shots and a 9-3 edge in corners.
The first breakthrough for Valpo came in the 22nd minute, when April Cronin stormed past the Phoenix defense before setting herself up just inside the top of the box for a finish past Nastacia Behle into the right corner of the net. The goal would prove to be the game winner in the match.
Valpo added its second goal in the 73rd minute, after its initial shot was saved before a collision between Vanesa Abad and Behle went in the favor of Abad. That goal made it 2-0 Crusaders and put the contest out of reach for Green Bay.
The season was certainly filled with excitement and history, as the team set new marks that haven't been seen in multiple years. The 11 victories are the most by a team in the Horizon League era, while the victory over Youngstown State was the program's first postseason victory at home since 1994. The Phoenix also scored 36 goals this season, which as another program record for the Horizon League era.
The team will say goodbye to nine seniors, all of who were strong contributors to a fine season in 2014. Returning for Green Bay will be a host of key players, including two All-League performers in Heidi Hartmann and Alex Zeller.
The future is certainly bright for a program that has endured its recent struggles. Green Bay women's soccer looks to be on the upswing, something that hasn't been said in quite some time.
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