The Valley On ESPN3 vs. Valparaiso | Live Stats vs. Valparaiso | Tournament Bracket 

CHICAGO (October 27, 2017) – The third-seeded Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team kicks off play in the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship as it hosts sixth-seeded Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon at Loyola Soccer Park in an opening-round matchup.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: Olivia Bruce scored with three minutes remaining in the first half to help push Drake past Loyola, 1-0, this past Thursday at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines, Iowa.  Senior Emily Lange paced the Ramblers in the defeat with two shots, both of which came on goal, while senior goalkeeper Maddie Ford registered five saves between the pipes.
 
vs. Valparaiso: MVC newcomer Valparaiso closed the year at the .500 mark with a record of 9-9-0 that included a record of 3-4-0 in league play.  The Crusaders dropped a 2-1 decision to Evansville in their regular-season finale this past Thursday at Brown Field in Valparaiso, Ind.  Cory Griffith netted the lone goal in the defeat for Valparaiso, while Grace Rogers was credited with her 14th career assist on the tally, breaking the program's previous all-time record in the category.  Griffith and Sydney Griffin lead a powerful one-two punch on the offensive end for head coach John Marovich's team.  Griffith has a team-high 10 goals to her name, a mark that ranks fourth overall in the Valley, while Griffin ranks second in total points with six goals and five assists.  Goalkeeper Drew Moulton has earned the starting nod 12 times this season.  Moulton sports a 1.21 goals against average and a 0.770 save percentage.
 
Series Stuff: Sunday's postseason opener will be the 26th time that Loyola and Valparaiso have met in women's soccer.  The Ramblers hold a 15-9-1 edge in the 25 previous meetings but the Crusaders have dominated the series of late, picking up four consecutive victories over the Maroon & Gold.  In the matchup between the two teams during the regular season back on Oct. 7, Valparaiso escaped Loyola Soccer Park with a 2-1 win.  An own goal put the Crusaders on top during the first half before Griffith added an insurance tally just after halftime.  Junior Jenna Szczesny pulled a goal back for the Ramblers with a quarter of an hour to play but that would prove to be the extent of Loyola's comeback.
 
After This: The winner of Sunday's opening-round game will move on to a date with second-seeded Missouri State, the tournament host, in the second of two semifinal games next Friday (Nov. 3) at 6 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.