Women's Soccer to Play Final Regular-Season Home Contest

Oct. 24, 2001

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Marquette returns for its final regular-season home contest of the year in a matchup against Saint Louis on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The Golden Eagles also visit Wisconsin on Sunday Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. in Madison.

The Golden Eagles come off a weekend split of matches at Cincinnati (2-1 loss in double overtime) and at Louisville (3-0 win). The loss to Cincinnati marked the first time that Marquette lost a Conference USA contest in 17 matches. The Golden Eagles look to put back-to-back wins together in its match against Saint Louis.

Scouting Saint Louis

By Saint Louis' standards, the Billikens are having a down season. They enter their match with Marquette owning sub .500 records in both their overall tally and their C-USA record. At 6-7-1 and 3-4-1 in C-USA play, the Billikens are on the borderline of qualifying for the C-USA Tournament. After Marquette, SLU has just one C-USA test, so this matchup is important to its season.

Saint Louis goalkeeper Meghann Burke has been the Bills most consistent player over the last four seasons. The league leader in goals against average a year ago at 0.72, Burke's total has jumped to 1.31, but she has still made 82 saves on the year with four shutouts. Offensively, Jamie Perry is leading the team with 20 points on the year. She has scored nine of the Billikens 20 goals. Jenny Kehl and Anny Lucier each have three.

Scouting Wisconsin

Wisconsin has been struggling in the 2001 season. Owning a 4-8-3 record, the Badgers have slipped from their 16-7-1 pace from a year ago.

Wisconsin has been in a scoring slump this season. The Badgers have netted just 16 scores in their 15 matches. In their last four contests, Wisconsin has scored just one time.

Defensively, the Badgers have held up thanks to goal keeper Kelly Conway. She has 83 saves on the year. Kelly Kundert and Amy Vermeullen lead the offense with four scores each.

In The Polls

Marquette falls out of the NSCAA top 25 for the second time this season, however, the Golden Eagles are still receiving votes in the poll. North Carlolina maintains its hold on the top spot.

In the NSCAA Great Lakes Regional poll, Marquette is now ranked fourth in the region. Notre Dame, Michigan and Oakland are ahead of the Golden Eagles in the regional poll.

Gordon Rising in MU Career Categories

Despite being held scoreless in the first two matches of the season, junior Kate Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa) has found the scoring touch in 2001 and has risen in the Marquette record book. With six goals and two assists on the year, Gordon has 74 points and has moved into second all time in career points at Marquette. Kelly Roethe, the career leader, is at a distant 123 points. With the six goals this season, Gordon also has upped her career total to 32, moving her into second. Roethe is the career leader at 49 goals.

In the Record Books

Marquette set an NCAA record in fastest time to retaliate to an opponent's goal. Against Illinois, Hollie Schurr scored for the Fighting Illini at 85:14. Six seconds later at 85:20, junior forward Kate Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa) scored off the kickoff from sophomore midfielder Laura Culhane (Brookfield, Wis.). The previous record was 10 seconds each by Ida Hakansson of Eastern Illinois and Holly Toth of Dayton, both in 1999.

Unbeaten Streak Stopped, Home Streak Still in Tact

With a 2-1 double overtime loss at Cincinnati on October 19, Marquette's 17-match unbeaten streak in Conference USA came to an end. Prior to that loss, The Golden Eagles had not suffered a C-USA defeat since Oct. 15, 1999, in a 1-0 loss at Charlotte. Marquette has not lost a home Conference USA match in 13 contests. The last C-USA loss at the Valley came on Oct. 16, 1998. The Golden Eagles were beaten by South Florida, 2-1, on that day.

The only blemish in the 17-match unbeaten streak that recently came to an end and the current 13-match home unbeaten streak was a 0-0 tie with Saint Louis last season.

Two MU Players Have Received Player of the Week Honors

Twice this season has a Marquette women's soccer players been named C-USA Player of the Week. For the week ending Sept. 30, senior forward Jill Vendetti (Franklin, Mass.) was named Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Week for a two-goal week. For the period ending Oct. 14, goalkeeper Ashleigh Koenig (Naperville, Ill.) was named Defensive Player of the Week for a seven-save, two-shutout week.

Marquette Pair Named Preseason All-Conference

Receiving preseason accolades for Marquette are junior forward Kate Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa) and sophomore midfielder Kristen Jensen (Shorewood, Ill.). Both were named to the preseason All-Conference USA squad.

Gordon, a first team All-Conference and second team All-American in 2000, set a school record for points (40) and goals (17) a year ago as she earned several postseason honors. Jensen scored 12 points on three goals and six assists as she earned first team All-Conference honors in her first collegiate season.

Golden Eagles Tabbed as Preseason Favorites

Marquette has been chosen to repeat as the Conference USA regular season champion in a vote by the league's head coaches. Marquette is predicted to win its third straight C-USA crown.

Marquette ran through the C-USA schedule undefeated in 2000 going 10-0-1, finishing the year at 20-3-1. The Golden Eagles also won the C-USA Tournament for the second straight time to advance to the NCAAs.

Rounding out the top five are Saint Louis, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Houston. C-USA newcomers TCU and East Carolina are picked sixth and seventh respectively.

2001 Statistical Leaders

Goals Kate Gordon 6 Jenny Strachota 5 Jill Vendetti 4 Three players 2

Assists Kristen Jensen 6 Kate Gordon 3 Laura Culhane 2 Ashley Spakowitz 2

Points Kate Gordon 15 Kristen Jensen 10 Jenny Strachota 10 Jill Vendetti 9

Shots Kate Gordon 37 Jill Vendetti 30 Anne Ioder 23 Laura Culhane 22

Game Winning Goals Laura Culhane 2 Jill Vendetti 2 Erin Maysent 2 Five players 1

Saves Ashleigh Koenig 60 Katie Bissen 5