Women's Soccer Opens Four-Match Road Trip at Louisville
10/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 18, 2007
MILWAUKEE - The Marquette women's soccer team will hit the road for the remainder of the regular season with a four-match tilt beginning at Louisville on Friday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. CT. From there the Golden Eagles will head to Cincinnati on Sunday for a Noon CT match with the Bearcats.
"We are meeting up with familiar opponents and should expect tough games," said head coach Markus Roeders. "Defensively both teams are very sound and work very hard. Our players need to be focused to get two results on the road."
Louisville (10-3-1, 5-2-0 BIG EAST) is riding a three-match win streak entering its contest with Marquette. The Cardinals won at Pittsburgh, 1-0, and defeated Rutgers (3-0) and Seton Hall (1-0) in overtime to stand second in the National Division with 15 points.
Shannon Smyth leads Louisville with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Five of her goals this season have been credited as game winners. Kelsey Hunyadi is the other Cardinal with double figured points this season as she has 10 points on four goals and two assists. Hunyadi earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors this week for her performance against Rutgers and Seton Hall.
In goal, reigning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week Joanna Haig has played all 1320:35 minutes and has a goals against average of 0.41 for the season. In posting a 5-2-0 BIG EAST record, Haig has allowed just two goals for a 0.27 GAA. She ranks seventh in the nation in GAA and sixth in save percentage (.905).
"Louisville is among the top teams in the BIG EAST this year lead by a group of talented players," said Roeders. "They have done well and we will need to be focused and ready to play 90 minutes. Karen is a great coach and we know each other well, we have a lot of respect for her and what she has built at Louisville."
The Golden Eagles own the series advantage 11-4 over the Cardinals. Marquette took the last three meetings and each match was decided by one goal. Marquette is 4-3-0 all-time in Louisville.
Cincinnati (5-8-1, 2-5 BIG EAST) won its second conference win of the season in the form of a 2-1 defeat of Rutgers at Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats currently sit in sixth place in the National Division with six points.
Erin MacDonald leads the young Bearcats squad - that consists of 17 underclassmen - with 15 points on four goals and seven assists, while Melissa Bigg and Kendall Loggins are tied for second on the team in points with 11 (4g, 3a). Goalkeeper Andrea Kaminski is second in the BIG EAST in saves, turning away 76 shots in 14 games, and ranks third in saves per game, averaging 5.43. She has played all but 7:53 minutes between the posts.
"The rivalry between our women's soccer program goes back to the mid-90s and we have had some great battles throughout the years. Many tournament championships have been decided between the two schools," said Roeders. "Cincinnati is a younger squad that is improving every week and their results as of late have been impressive. Being prepared and ready to play on their turf field requires precision and a level high of execution. Last time we played there, we went up 3-0 early in the game before we walked away with a 4-3 victory. We know it will be another tough match."
Marquette has the advantage, 10-8-1, against UC in a series that dates back to 1993. The Golden Eagles have won the last four straight meetings. The two teams have met 14 times in the regular season and five times in the Conference USA Conference Tournament title game. Marquette is 3-3-1 all-time in Cincinnati.
Live stats will be available for both games, and live audio will be provided courtesy of www.bearcats.com.