Men's Soccer to Close out Home Slate Against Connecticut
10/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 18, 2006
MILWAUKEE -
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The first season under Louis Bennett comes to an end this week for the Marquette men's soccer team. The Golden Eagles finish a three-game home stand with their final home game of the season, a Wednesday, October 18 meeting with Connecticut at Valley Fields. Marquette concludes its season with a trip to Georgetown on Saturday, October 21 at 1 p.m. EDT.
The Golden Eagles are looking to avoid their first winless season at home since the 1970 season. That season, Marquette was 0-4-1 at home. Marquette is also looking to avoid setting the mark for the fewest wins in a season. A victory against Connecticut would cure both.
The week's action marks the final contests for seven Marquette seniors -- Matt Blouin, Bennett Lafferty, Nathan Sabich, Bryan Dahlquist, Rob Walton, Matt Soper and Marc Dettmann.
The 14th ranked Connecticut men's soccer team started the season ranked as high as no. 2, but early season slip ups dropped the Huskies from the polls quickly. Connecticut has responded and enters the week with a 9-4-2 record, winners of three of their last four.
Forward O'Brien White is among the league leaders in scoring, connecting on seven goals this season. Ryan Cordiero adds five goals for the Huskies. Matt Sangletoy has spent every second in goal this season for Connecticut, stopping 50 shots.
Last season, Connecticut defeated Marquette 6-0 in Storrs, Conn.
Still with a shot at making the BIG EAST Tournament coming into the week, MU's contest with Georgetown could mean everything for the Hoyas, or it could mean nothing. GU trails Pittsburgh by four points with two matches to play. Georgetown plays at Pittsburgh on Wednesday prior to the MU meeting.
Ricky Schramm has 10 of Georgetown's 23 goals on the year. Joe Devine and Andrew Keszler have split time in goal, making 39 and 22 saves respectively.
This week's action marks the final games for seven Marquette seniors:
Matt Blouin -- A prolific scorer from Leawood, Kansas, Blouin continued his scoring ways at Marquette. He has 13 career goals, scoring as many as seven in his sophomore season. As a freshman, he was third on the team in scoring with four goals. Injuries limited his time as a junior, but Matt has been on the field for every game in his final season. He has one goal on the year, scoring against USF.
Bryan Dahlquist --A versatile midfielder from Schaumburg, Ill., Dahlquist has been one of Marquette's most dependable players over the last four years. A starter since his freshman season, Dahlquist has been given the starting nod in 60 of the 61 games in which he has played, including all 12 he has played this season. It is his defending skills which helped him earn third-team All-Conference USA honors as a sophomore.
Bennett Lafferty -- A dedicated member of the squad from Freeport, Illinois, Lafferty is the consummate teammate. Lafferty has played just once since his freshman year -- a starting nod in MU's last game against Seton Hall. He has been an ever present performer in practice and a vocal member of the bench.
Nathan Sabich --A defensive menace from Springfield, Illinois, Sabich helped anchor the back line for Marquette each of the last four seasons. In the previous three seasons, he was an integral part of 12 shutouts during that time. As a freshman, he helped hold opponents to 22 fewer shots than Marquette had during the year. As a result, he landed a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman team. A starter in all 67 matches in which he's played, Sabich has been a reliable force for Marquette in his four seasons. He earned his first career goal in MU's last outing against Seton Hall.
Matt Soper -- The team captain from Geneva, Illinois, Soper has seen improvement in his game since his arrival on campus four years ago. As a freshman in 2002, he redshirted and only played three games in 2003. Un his sophomore season, he blossomed into a valuable member of the Marquette rotation, starting 10 of 18 matches. He recorded his only career goal that year in a win over UIC. A starter in all 17 matches as a junior, Soper was poised for a great senior season, but injuries have prevented him from playing in all but eight matches this year. Despite the injuries, Soper is still the team leader.
Rob Walton -- The left footed playmaker from Whitefish Bay, Wis., Walton has adapted well to his role on the team this season, leading the squad in assists. Previously, he was a defensive minded midfielder recording one career assist last season as a junior. Walton played significant time as a freshman, playing 10 times. Injuries set him back as a sophomore, limiting his time to five matches. Last season he played 17 times, but injuries again have limited his time this year to just 11 matches. Despite the limited action, Walton has been an effective part of the Marquette plan.
Marc Dettmann -- A valuable goalkeeper from Milwaukee, Wisconsin,Dettmann filled a need in the net beginning last spring. With no goalkeepers on the roster, Dettmann signed on to be a part of the team last spring to fill the net in the exhibition season. Dettmann was a well-honored high school player at Marquette high school, leading his team to state titles each season he was on the varsity roster. After his prep career ended, he chose to attend Marquette University, but chose not to play soccer. That decision changed when head coach Louis Bennett and his staff were hired and he was recruited on to the team. Dettmann has played in five matches this year and has made 20 saves on the year.
