Marquette To Host Pair Of BIG EAST Opponents
9/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 27, 2007
Milwaukee - The Marquette University men's soccer team continues the BIG EAST Conference portion of its 2007 campaign this weekend when it hosts league opponents Louisville and Cincinnati at Valley Fields.
The Golden Eagles welcome the Cardinals to Milwaukee Friday night at 8 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the MU women's squad. MU entertains the Bearcats at 1 p.m., as the squad continues a three-match homestand.
The Marquette men and women's soccer programs will be thinking pink and showing their support of breast cancer awareness during their respective matches on Friday. The MU women will be wearing commemorative pink jerseys for their match against Providence at 6 p.m., while the men will warm-up in pink shirts prior to their match against Louisville.
"Anytime you can develop an event designed to raise awareness for an important cause it's very rewarding," head coach Louis Bennett said. "A number of people have been working on the organization and we are confident it will be very successful."
Louisville enters Friday's action with a 4-3-0 overall record, including a 1-1-0 mark in BIG EAST play. The Cardinals, who have dropped two of their previous three outings, opened league play with a 4-0 victory over Seton Hall before falling 1-0 to Georgetown. The Golden Eagles own an 8-3-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1995. UofL claimed a 4-0 decision in 2006.
"Louisville is a much-improved team that is off to a good start," Bennett said. "They are well organized and difficult to break down defensively. We will be well prepared and focus on what we need to do in order to create a favorable result."
Cincinnati's roster features the current league offensive player (Patrick Baxter, F) and rookie of the week (Miguel Rosales, GK). The Bearcats are 3-4-0 overall and 2-0-0 in the BIG EAST following wins over Georgetown and Seton Hall. The all-time series is knotted at 11-11-2, with UC owning victories in each of the last two matchups.
"The matches this weekend are an opportunity to earn some `bonus' points in the league," Bennett said. "Every BIG EAST game is important, but when you can pick up points against teams in the other division it can really help as the season progresses."
This weekend's matches mark the start of a three-game homestand, which concludes Oct. 3 versus Drake.
"The players are comfortable playing at home and the environment continues to develop," Bennett said. "Our main task is focusing on what we need to do to be successful and translating that into a 90-minute effort."