Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
0-1-0
Denver
1-0-0
Men's Soccer Falls in Season Opener, 1-0, to Denver
8/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 31, 2007
DENVER, Colo. - The Marquette opened the 2007 season with high hopes and optimism heading into its season-opening contest at Denver. Despite owning most of the first-half possession, Marquette (0-1) surrendered a goal in the 15th minute and couldn't rebound, losing to the Pioneers, 1-0.
Joe Mathot scored the game's only goal on a 20-yard free kick that he bent over the Marquette wall and into to upper corner of the net, leaving freshman goalkeeper Steve Purdy defenseless to stop the perfectly-placed strike.
"There wasn't much we could do in that sitation," head coach Louis Bennett said. "The only way to stop that goal is to keep from fouling that close to our own net."
Marquette owned most of the possession in the first half, creating some chances of its own. Marquette penetrated deep, creating four-first half corner kicks, but couldn't finish off any of their attacking efforts.
"In the first half, we played really well," Bennett said. "We had a couple of opportunities that we just didn't convert. We had our chances; we just have to find ways to finish."
The control of the second half belonged more to Denver (1-0) than Marquette. The Pioneers had 10 shots in the second half and limited MU to just two shots at net.
"We were tired in the second half," Bennett said. "I don't want to say the altitude played a factor, but we were definitely struggling with fitness in the second half. We were the more fit team in each of our exhibition games. The game just got away from us. We spent too much time trying to chase down a goal of our own instead of playing our brand of soccer."
Despite a good start, Bennett said that the struggles in the second half make the loss more difficult to handle.
"It was definitely a tale of two halves," he said. "If we had played in the second half like we played in the first, we would come away with a much more positive feeling. But the way we played in the second half puts a bad spin on the game today."
Marquette meets nationally-ranked UIC on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Chicago. Bennett's team has little time to prepare for its formidable foe.
"We're going to get back, rest and recuperate," he said. "We'll introduce the game plan on Saturday and go at it on Sunday."
Team Stats
Joe Mathot (1)
Top of the box free kick
14:54
