For Valparaiso senior Claire Brogan, a little practice on penalty kicks before Tuesday’s home game against Chesterton proved worthwhile.
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Her goal propelled the Vikings to a 4-3 win in the penalty-kick shootout and a 4-3 victory in the Duneland Athletic Conference matchup.
“A lot of us practiced penalty kicks before the game,” Brogan said. “It’s not something we practice often, it just happened to be on our mind today.
“We just told each other to envision where we were shooting, block out the screaming and know it’s just you and the goal.”
Valparaiso trailed 2-1 at halftime with Olivia Shaw’s shot from about 35 yards out accounting for the Vikings’ lone goal. Despite being down, Valpo coach Rob Cespedes liked how his team kept attacking.
“That 2-1 lead is a very dangerous lead, it gives the team a security blanket but when in reality, it can quickly turn around,” he said. “The girls kept their cool and did some really strong offensives and it was a really exciting game to watch. The girls continued to work and found that energy.
“It feels good to be on the other end of a close one with Chesterton. The DAC is very challenging, so it’s really important to get a win over these guys.”
After falling behind 3-1, Valpo got goals from Janci Courtaney in the 60th minute and Annabel Murley in the 75th. The Vikings (3-2, 2-0) knew it was crucial to keep momentum after a win over then-state No. 2 Penn.
“This win might not happen if we don’t beat Penn,” Brogan said. “We had to keep growing as a team and if we keep doing that, this team can get far.
“I’m not gonna lie, this one definitely felt great.”
Olivia Hansen, Ashlee Bakaitis and Sydney Stott scored for the Trojans (2-3, 1-1).
“We took a lead, extended it and dominated portions of the game at their place, that’s a positive,” Chesterton coach Ben Forgey said. “We scored three goals against a good team. The girls wanted this game and didn’t get it and they’re gonna be driven the rest of the entire season because of it. “
CJ Peters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.