Valparaiso's Horb shuts out Crown Point girls soccer team in first start of season

VALPARAISO | Elyse Horb said she was nervous about making her first start of the season in net, but those nerves didn't show up on the field.

Horb, who was starting in place of the injured Emma Kurt, made six saves on the night and Kate Johnson scored her ninth goal of the season as Times No. 4 Valparaiso beat No. 1 Crown Point 1-0 on Tuesday.

"I was super nervous to start, and our team seriously stepped it up," Horb said. "I was really thankful that I made those saves."

The victory moved the Vikings into a first place tie in the Duneland Athletic Conference.

Four of Horb's six stops came in the second half. Her biggest save of the night came in the 69th minute, when she dove to her right to stop a shot from Sarah Rivich, who had gotten in front of two defenders 12 yards from the goal.

"Our girls did a very good job getting to the ball first, not giving them opportunities to take the shots on and continuing on with the pressure to give us the offensive attacks when we could get them," Valparaiso coach Rob Cespedes said.

The Bulldogs, who have lost three consecutive matches, had two chances to tie the game in the final minute, but Abi Small hit the crossbar with 30 seconds left, and her shot off the rebound went over the top of the goal.

"We had our opportunities and we didn't finish," Crown Point coach Chris Mikrut said. "Valpo came out and played, and we didn't really finish the way we needed to tonight."

Johnson tallied the Vikings' only goal of the match off of a corner kick in the 46th minute.

Kaylee Pullins took the corner, and the ball deflected to Johnson, who headed it toward the goal. Crown Point keeper Kelsey Shoemaker caught the ball but was standing behind the goal line, so the goal counted.

The Vikings (7-2, 5-1 Duneland) outshot the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-1 Duneland) 17-15 and also had an 8-6 edge in shots on goal, while Crown Point had eight corner kicks to Valparaiso's three.

"We just didn't have any rhythm tonight," Mikrut said.

Shoemaker made six saves for the Bulldogs.