Marquette University Athletics
Men's Soccer Takes on Nationally Ranked Saint Louis
9/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 30, 2003
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Upcoming Matches
Oct. 1 at (7) Saint Louis, St. Louis, Mo., 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 vs. Memphis, Valley Fields, 7 p.m.
Playing its second seventh-ranked opponent in as many matches, Marquette is in the middle of a key stretch of its season. MU takes on Saint Louis, ranked seventh by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in St. Louis. That is the second of three straight matches against C-USA opponents. Marquette competed with no. 7 UAB, now no. 3 in the polls, before giving up a quick second half goal to fall, 3-2.
The Golden Eagles also welcome Memphis to Valley Fields to conclude the week. Marquette got off to a great start in C-USA play, beginning 2-0. The loss to UAB was MU's first setback.
Scouting Saint Louis
Saint Louis has perennially been at the top of Conference USA and this year seems to be no exception. Marquette beat the Billikens last year and won a share of the C-USA title. Saint Louis was the preseason league favorite.
But if there's a time to catch SLU, now might be it. The seventh-ranked team in the nation fell from no. 3 after a tie to Western Illinois, 4-4, and a 2-0 loss to Louisville last week. The Bills are still very dangerous. Three players have three or more goals, led by five from Vedad Ibisevic. Martin Hutton paces the Bills in goal with a 1.05 goals against average.
Series History
Saint Louis leads, 19-3.
Marquette won 1-0 at Valley Fields last year.
Scouting Memphis
Prior to its October 4 game with Marquette at Valley Fields at 7 p.m., Memphis takes on Cincinnati. The Tigers are 3-3-1 heading into the week and are looking for their first C-USA win. Memphis is 0-1-1 in league play, coming off a 2-2 tie with East Carolina.
Memphis has a pair of explosive goal scorers in Andy Metcalf and Omar Jarun. Each have five strikes on the year, accounting for 10 of the Tigers' 14 goals. Memphis has struggled at times allowing goals, giving up as many as four to Louisville.
Series History
Marquette leads, 10-5-1.
MU has two-straight 2-1 wins over Memphis.
In The Polls
Maryland holds the top spot in both national polls. The Golden Eagles are still awaiting their first mention in any regional ranking this season. Marquette has had its share of foes now ranked. Washington sits in the no. 13 spot while Oakland is ranked 17th. UAB is up to no. 3 and Saint Louis is ranked seventh. Notre Dame holds the top spot in the NSCAA Great Lakes region.
Golden Eagles Open Up Offensive Flood Gates
After struggling to find the goal in the first four matches, Marquette found its offense against DePaul. Marquette tallied four strikes, including a pair by sophomore midfielder Blair Kohlmeyer (Newburgh, Ind.). Marquette scored four twice last season, with the last being on Oct. 5 against TCU. Since opening the season with three goals in four matches, Marquette has scored nine in its next five outings.
Offense Goes Through Gutierrez ... Or Does It?
While Marquette averages a respectable 1.44 goals per match, its leading scorer from 2002 is still awaiting his first strike of the year. Derek Gutierrez, a career 17 goal scorer, has never had fewer than five goals per year in his Marquette career. Nine matches into the season, Gutierrez has yet to score. He has been a contributor to the offense, however, recording three assists.
Defense Finds its Ways As Well
Like the offense, the Marquette defense has seen a 180-degree turnaround after the season's beginning. After giving up 14 goals in a three match span, a shuffle on the back line garnered some positive results. Led by junior Danny Mullin (Brookfield, Wis.) at sweeper, Marquette earned a pair of shutouts, blanking DePaul, 4-0, and Evansville, 1-0. MU's last multiple shutout string came at the end of last year when it blanked East Carolina, DePaul and Wisconsin to finish the regular season.
Kohlmeyer Starts Big
Sophomore midfielder Blair Kohlmeyer (Newburgh, Ind.) became an instant threat in MU's opening match against Denver. Kohlmeyer hadn't scored a goal in his short MU career, but he struck twice against the Pioneers after MU was behind, 1-0. Kohlmeyer scored his first two collegiate goals and became the teams' leading scorer with that match. He owns four goals on the year.
Ubert Named Player-of-the-Week
Senior goalkeeper Adam Ubert (Heartland, Wis.) was named Conference USA Co-Defensive-Player-of-the-Week, for the week ending September 14. Ubert was crucial in Marquette's return to .500. Ubert blanked DePaul, 4-0, and Evansville, 1-0, during the week to help the Golden Eagles improve to 3-3 on the year.
Lee Back on Pace
Junior midfielder Chris Lee (Lenexa, Kan.) has become a proficient striker yet again. He has three goals, one away from his total a year ago. He set a career high with seven his freshman year.
McCallum's Return
Senior midfielder Zach McCallum (Madison, Wis.) made his way back to the Marquette roster on Sept. 7 against Oakland. McCallum earned a start. He had left the team with one year of eligibility remaining to pursue dental school. However, injuries brought him back to the pitch.
Marquette at Home
Last season, Marquette won its last four matches at home, continuing on its dominance at Valley Fields. The last time MU won fewer than five at home in a year was 2000 . This year, MU has 10 matches at home won its first three at home before losing to Washington to end its home win streak at seven.
