11th Ranked Women's Soccer Opens BIG EAST Tournament
10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MU hosts Louisville with spot in quarterfinals on the line
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MILWAUKEE ? Marquette plays in the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time in its history, hosting Louisville at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 30 at Valley Fields. The Golden Eagles, ranked as high as no. 11 by Soccer America, will have the opportunity to play all of the BIG EAST Tournament on its home field, as it hosts the semifinal and final rounds on November 4 and 6.
Marquette earned the no. 2 seed out of Division A with its 9-2 league record. The Golden Eagles scored 27 points, three behind division champion Connecticut.
"That's something we've been trying to play for in the regular season," head coach Markus Roeders said. "Qualifying directly for the quarterfinal round is a great accomplishment and earning the no. 2 seed from our division reflects the fact that we earned something this season."
Louisville comes into the BIG EAST Tournament with an 11-7 record after beating Seton Hall, 5-1, and losing to Rutgers, 2-0, in the final weekend of the regular season. The Cardinals are led by Jamie Craft, who had 10 goals on the year, and goalkeeper Deana Waintraub, who made 70 stops on the season.
"We know what to expect from Louisville," Roeders said. "They can play defense and have players that can score. But we have to rely on what we do. If everyone comes out and plays within their abilities, I like our chances, especially at home."
Marquette defeated Louisville, 2-1 in overtime, on October 16 in Louisville. Julie Thompson's goal with 17 seconds remaining in the first overtime gave MU the win. Shannon Smyth scored a goal in the in the 15th minute to put Louisville up 1-0. MU?s Meghan Connelly tied the score at the 71:41 mark on a shot to the far post.
"The first time around it was a tight game with our team not playing very well in the first half, but playing a good second half and overtime," Roeders said. "Having played them in the past, we know their team and they know our team, so it should be a exciting contest."
Defending NCAA Division I National Champion Notre Dame and defending BIG EAST Champion Connecticut both earned the regular season titles for their respective divisions in the BIG EAST Tournament. Notre Dame finished the regular season with a 10-1-0 record in conference play and earned 30 points (three points for a win, one for a tie) en route to the Division B title. Connecticut also finished with a 10-1-0 conference record and 30 points, giving them the Division A title.
By earning the titles, both teams earned first place seeds and first-round byes in the 2005 BIG EAST Championships. In first round action, Georgetown defeated Syracuse, 1-0, and Rutgers blanked Pittsburgh, 3-0, to advance to the quarterfinal rounds. Marquette will host the 2005 BIG EAST Championship semifinals and final on Nov. 4 & 6. Selection and seeding for the tournament is based on regular season finishes with the top 10 teams qualifying.
All four quarterfinal round contests will be played on Sunday at campus sites with the winners advancing to Friday?s semifinal at Valley Fields.
"Being in the final four teams left standing is something we have made a goal from the beginning of the season," Roeders added. "It's not something we talk about every day, but it's been there. We now have a chance to accomplish that."
If Marquette is able to defeat Louisville, Roeders will win the 150th game in his career.
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