Big East Tournament: MU women advance to title game while men falter in opening round

November 7, 10:01 AMMarquette Golden Eagles ExaminerBrian Neuberger

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For the first time since joining the conference in 2005, the MU women’s soccer team has advanced to the Big East Tournament Championship game.

In defeating West Virginia (9-6-6) 1-0 Friday (the first time MU has defeated the Mountaineers) to extend their unbeaten streak to nine games, MU (15-4-2) will play No. 1 National Division seed Notre Dame Sunday afternoon for Big East bragging rights.

“Our staff is extremely proud of [our team] and how they played today,” said MU head coach Markus Roeders, who was named Big East Coach of the Year Friday, according to gomarquette.com. “It is an amazing feeling to make it to our first Big East Tournament final. To earn another shutout against a team as high quality as West Virginia is terrific. We don’t have much time, but the team will be ready for the final on Sunday.”

And ready they will need to be.

While MU, currently ranked 10th in the NSCAA poll, is making its first appearance to the tournament final, the Irish (16-3-1, 10-0-1 in Big East play) advanced to their sixth consecutive Big East Championship game on the heels of a 2-1 overtime victory over St. John’s Friday night.

Ranking within the top two in the Big East in shots (373, first); points (119, second); goals (42, second); goals per game (2.10, second); assists (35, second); and shutouts (13, second to MU’s 15), the Irish are headlined by three members of the 2009 All-Big East First Team—Courtney Barg (the recipient of the conference’s Midfielder of the Year award), Lauren Fowlkes (who was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year with Georgetown’s Sara Jordan) and Jessica Schuveiller—and two second team selections in Rose Augustin and Melissa Henderson.

Overall, Notre Dame, currently ranked fourth in the NSCAA poll, won their 12th Big East regular season title in 2009 and have advanced to the Big East tournament in all but one year (2002) of the their 15-year league membership, having won the postseason crown ten times (1995-2001, 2005-06 and 2008).

Marquette, however, is riding a perfectly timed hot streak and exuding confidence that is well equipped to dethrone the squad from South Bend, Ind.

A combination that was on full display Friday.

Led by the continued brilliance of sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla—who earned her seventh consecutive shutout against WVU (her 15th in 2009 and 21rst career) and has not allowed a goal in a mind-boggling 748 straight minutes—MU played strong defense throughout the game (highlighted by limiting WVU to just two shots in the game’s first half) and scored its lone goal at the 27th minute courtesy of sophomore Rachel Sloan.

“Our team played excellent soccer for much of the game and battled like champions,” reflected Roeders, as reported by gomarquette.com. “Defensively, we did what has carried us all year: hard work and a commitment to battle as a team.”

If those same principles are executed to perfection come Sunday, MU may have another trophy to put on display.

For the MU men’s soccer team, Thursday proved to be a bittersweet ending to an up-and-down season.

Compiling a 4-11-3 record (finishing the regular season sixth in the Big East Blue Division) in 2009, the MU men made their first postseason appearance in seven years, as well as the Golden Eagle’s maiden Big East Men’s Soccer Championship berth since joining the conference in 2005.

Upon securing said postseason berth on Oct. 31, MU lost its regular season finale to Connecticut, 3-0, and began preparations to do battle with No. 3 seed South Florida (13-3-2) on Nov. 5.

Playing in the soccer equivalent of Duke’s Cameroon Indoor Stadium, the Bulls, entering Thursday, had a nation’s best 28-game home unbeaten streak. Unfortunately for MU, that streak was extended to 29—now good for eighth all time in Division I history—as they lost 2-1 at USF Soccer Stadium.

A relatively sloppy affair during the first half, MU found itself trailing 1-0 at halftime and 2-0 with a little under 10 minutes to play.

Freshman Adam Lysak’s goal at the 80:19 mark provided a glimpse of hope for MU, but USF was able to hold on and, as a result, will play at Notre Dame on Sunday.

“I think that the frailty we showed at the beginning, not being able to impose our personality on the game, allowed [USF] to dominate large sections of the game and we couldn’t get a foothold,” said MU head coach Louis Bennett, according to gomarquette.com. “We tried to make those adjustments at halftime, but I don’t think it became apparent until our backs were against the wall.”

For the game, MU finished with 10 shots (compared to USF’s 16) with four of their six shots on goal coming in the second half.

While MU’s season came to a close, Bennett was quick to point out that it was not for lack of determination, effort or desire from his club. “When the final whistle blew, there was no mistake about our determination, our heart,” said the native of Great Britain, according to gomarquette.com. “If you give 100 percent, that’s all you can ever ask. Considering all of the circumstances, I think our guys did give 100 percent. When the pain [of this loss] subsides, you can look back and be proud of your effort.”