Nov. 8, 2009

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)  

STORRS, Conn. - The No. 10 Marquette women’s soccer team fell just short in its first title game of the BIG EAST Championship Sunday with a 2-1 heartbreaking loss to No. 4 Notre Dame at Morrone Stadium on the campus of the University of Connecticut. With the win, the Irish claim their 11th BIG EAST Tournament Title, the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament and improve to 17-3-1, while the Golden Eagles stand at 15-5-2 overall. 

Rachael Sloan, who scored the lone goal for Marquette against Notre Dame, was named to the all-tournament team along with senior Becky Ryan and junior Rosie Malone-Povolny.

"It was a great battle and championship match," said BIG EAST Coach of the Year Markus Roeders. "We are extremely proud of our team and effort.  It isn't the result we wanted and played for today but we will learn from it and regroup quickly.  Our season isn't over; now we need to await our fate in the NCAA tournament.  We ask all our fans to come out to the Annex for the NCAA Selection Show tomorrow to celebrate what this team has done so far this season and find out the draw for the upcoming games."

There was an abundance of opportunities for both teams in the first half, with Marquette owning a slight edge in the shots column, 8-7.

The Golden Eagles were awarded a corner kick in the second minute but were unable to convert the opportunity. In the 12^th minute, Marquette had another great chance when junior Julia Victor found Michelle Compty wide open on the far post. Compty got her head on the ball, but the Notre Dame defense knocked it out of bounds past the end line. On the ensuing corner kick, McBride’s header was saved by ND goalkeeper Nikki Weiss.

Notre Dame found the back of the net on its next possession in the 13^th minute. Melissa Henderson received the ball in the 18-yard box and tapped it to Lauren Fowlkes. Fowlkes controlled the ball and knocked it in past Kulla to the right corner of the net.

Sloan got the equalizer 10 minutes later at the 22:12 mark. Junior Julia Victor chipped the ball over the Fighting Irish defense in the direction of Sloan, who was five yards in front of the goal. Sloan got in front of her defender and headed the ball over Weiss for the score. 

The Golden Eagles found themselves in a dangerous situation in the 40^th minute, and the Fighting Irish were almost able to capitalize. ND’s Michelle Weissenhofer sent her signature flip throw-in into the box where Fowlkes hit the post on her attempt. Henderson gathered the rebound, but her shot also hit the post.

It was much of the same for both teams in the second half as the two teams traded scoring opportunities.

Marquette put the pressure on ND’s lower third early in the second half and was awarded a corner kick at the 50:00 minute mark. McBride was stationed at the far post while Thut served in a perfect ball, but McBride’s header sailed just high of the crossbar. Following that opportunity, Marquette launched four shots but was unable to convert any of those chances.

Notre Dame scored the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute. Henderson found Amanda Clark about four yards out and knocked it past Kulla to put the score, 2-1.  

The Golden Eagles looked relentlessly for another equalizer, firing off seven shots in the final 19 minutes following Notre Dame’s score.

For the game, Kulla, whose shutout streak halted at 760 minutes, stopped five shots while Weiss made six saves.

Marquette will await an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament field of 64 and will host a viewing party for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at the Union Sports Annex located on the corner of 16th and Wells Street, on Monday, Nov. 9, beginning at 6:45 p.m.