Nov. 7, 2009

STORRS, Conn. -

Game Notes (PDF)

Live Stats

For the first time in program history, the Marquette women's soccer team will play for the BIG EAST Tournament Championship on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Golden Eagles will take on No. 1 National Division seed Notre Dame at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn., at Noon ET/11 a.m. CT. The tournament champion will earn the league's automatic berth in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The game will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports with Ann Schatz and Tammy Blackburn calling the action. It can also be seen on BIG EAST TV, which will air locally in Milwaukee on Sports32, and will be available online via www.BIGEAST.tv for $3.95.

Marquette is 5-3 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action. Marquette will meet Notre Dame for the fourth time in BIG EAST Tournament play. MU is 0-3 against the Irish in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Golden Eagles have won two conference tournament championships as members of Conference USA in 1999 and 2000. Marquette has made seven appearances in conference tournament final and stand 2-4-1 in those matches.

The Golden Eagles (15-4-2) enter the game riding a nine-game unbeaten streak, including six straight wins. They earned their berth in the title game by way of a 1-0 shutout of West Virginia Friday night in the semifinals. Sophomore striker Rachael Sloan scored the game winner in the 27th minute. It was her sixth goal of the season, fifth game winner. Marquette is 6-0 when Sloan finds the back of the net.

Sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla, who stopped six shots all in the second half, earned her seventh straight shutout, 15th of the season with the 1-0 win. Kulla has not allowed a goal in over 748 straight minutes.

BIG EAST National Division Champion Notre Dame (16-3-1) topped St. John's 2-1 in overtime to stamp its ticket to the title game. Much like the Golden Eagles, the Fighting Irish are very stingy defensively and have allowed just two goals in their last nine games.

Goalkeeper Nikki Weiss has seen the majority of time between the posts and owns a 0.49 goals against average for the season.

Sophomore forward Melissa Henderson leads ND's offense with 24 points on 11 goals and two assists. BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Fowlkes follows with 21 points on nine goals and three assists, while Rose Augustin and Taylor Knaack have each contributed 19 (5g, 9a) and 16 (6g, 4a), respectively. The Fighting Irish have outscored the opposition 42-15.

Sunday's match will be the seventh meeting between the two schools since Marquette sponsored soccer as a DI sport in 1993. Notre Dame has had the upper hand over the Golden Eagles, leading the series 5-1. MU's lone win came on Sept. 30, 2005, 4-1, at Valley Fields, which also marked the last time the Fighting Irish lost to a BIG EAST foe.