Marquette University
Charlotte
Women's Soccer Earns First-Ever Trip To NCAA Tournament
11/6/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 6, 1999
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Erin Morgan?s goal in the third minute of overtime lifted the Marquette women?s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over UNC Charlotte in the Conference USA Championship Game this afternoon, sending the Golden Eagles to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Marquette fought back from a one goal deficit to win its first-ever C-USA Tournament Championship and improve its season record to 15-6-2.
?Wow! What a game?what a game?what a game,? Marquette head coach Markus Roeders said. ?What a relief. I really don?t know what to say. We were all stunned. Four years of bottled up emotion all came out after the game.?
The game started on an ominous note for the Golden Eagles, as UNC Charlotte?s Jill Currie sent in a free kick only 41 seconds into the first half.
?I didn?t even see how they got the free kick,? Roeders said. ?It all happened so fast and we had hardly touched the ball. But after that play we had the better of them.?
Marquette out-shot the 49ers 16-5 and earned 10 corners to UNC Charlotte?s four, but couldn?t get on the scoreboard until late in the contest. Like she has all season, C-USA All-Freshmen striker Kate Gordon got behind the defense and sent a blast that 49er keeper Jennifer Howell initially stopped. However, the ball popped loose and Gordon finished the score to knot the game at 1-1 at the 71:22 mark. Neither team could break the tie by the end of regulation though.
The Golden Eagles continued to control play in overtime and hit paydirt at the 92:22 mark, when Morgan?s game-winning shot made winners out of Marquette for the first time in their four consecutive trips to the league championship game.
?We?re all so happy and I?m especially happy and proud of our seniors,? Roeders said. ?We might get back here again, but it?s great for the first class we brought in here to finally get the big one and go out on a high note.? Morgan was named the tournament?s Most Valuable Forward, while fellow senior Kelly Roethe was named the Most Valuable Midfielder.
UNC Charlotte concludes its season with a 13-7-2 record.
Opening-round games of the NCAA Tournament are scheduled for Wed., Nov. 10. The opponent, site and time for the Golden Eagles? debut NCAA Tournament game will be revealed tomorrow evening at 9 p.m. (CT), when the NCAA Tournament Women?s Soccer Selection Special airs via satellite. Interested fans can join the C USA champion Golden Eagles at Marquette?s Union Sports Annex on the Marquette campus at the corner of 16th and Wells) to see where they will begin their assault on the national title.
GAME RECAP
Marquette 2, UNC Charlotte 1
#4 Marquette 0 1 1 2
#2 UNC Charlotte 1 0 0 1
First Half: 1, UNCC, Currie 00:41.
Second Half: 2, MU, Gordon 71:28.
Overtime: 3, MU, Morgan 92:22.
Shots: Marquette 16, UNCC 5
Corners: Marquette 10, UNCC 4
Saves: Marquette 2 (Bothwell 2), UNCC 6 (Howell 6)
Fouls: Marquette 7, UNCC 8
Att.: 360
