Deflated in Des Moines

WSOC: Marovich preaches unity after Valpo drops first Valley match of the season

DES MOINES - As soon as Nikki Coryell was done leading the Valparaiso women’s soccer team through postgame stretching on Sunday afternoon, the players and coaches immediately went to the visiting locker room at Drake Stadium.

There was no stopping to mingle with friends or family in the stands. No hanging on the field to catch up with any former high school or travel teammates on Drake’s roster. Just a straight path to the locker room where the team could have an honest conversation about what went wrong, not only in Sunday’s 2-1 come-from-ahead loss to the Bulldogs, but about the Missouri Valley Conference season as a whole.