Women's Soccer Holds Annual Team Banquet

Feb. 3, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Soccer Banquet Photo Gallery

The Marquette women's soccer team held its annual end-of-the-season banquet Sunday to recognize and honor the careers of its 10 graduating seniors. Nearly 100 administrators, family, friends and supporters of the Marquette women's soccer team were in attendance at Marquette's Alumni Memorial Union to celebrate.

The 2007 senior class of Britni Benage, Laura Boyer, Julia Egasti, Emily Fitzpatrick, Allison Mallams, Shaina Mango, Michelle Martin, Christy Smith, Aubrey Trembly, and Christy Zwolski helped the Golden Eagles soar to unprecedented heights during their careers. The class was showered with numerous national, regional and conference honors throughout their careers.

"We are very thankful for this incredible group of seniors.," said head coach Markus Roeders."They are wonderful women and have left their mark on the program. During their careers, Marquette women's soccer has experienced excellence on the field and in the classroom. Each of them experienced the highs and lows can be associated with being an athlete competing at the highest level. But, they never waivered from working hard and believing in themselves and their teammates. Within our program, we talk a lot about 'family' and these 10 players truly embraced this philosophy. They will be missed by our returning squad, but we all know that we have their support and they will be forever part of Marquette women's soccer."

In 2007, these 10 seniors helped the Golden Eagles to their best ever start to season at 9-0-1, and eclipsed the 11-win mark for the 12th consecutive season. Five of its first nine wins were shutouts, and MU allowed just one goal during its nine-game win streak. Marquette was ranked as high as No. 12 according to Soccer Buzz and No. 19 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll during the 2007 campaign.

The Golden Eagles (12-4-4 overall) finished in third place of the BIG EAST American Division with a 5-3-3 conference mark. It was the third straight season Marquette has finished in the top-three of its division and earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

Collectively, the senior class helped Marquette to go 66-30-12 during their tenure on the team.

Following the season, Zwolski was named to the NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team and Boyer was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team. Both were First Team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five honorees, while the team earned the program's 12th consecutive NSCAA College Team Academic Award.

Zwolski was also a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, and was named second team All-Great Lakes region by Soccer Buzz and third team all-region by the NSCAA. Boyer earned All-BIG EAST Third Team honors.

Mallams, while only playing in nine games due to injury, earned Second Team All-BIG EAST honors and was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.

As new members of the BIG EAST Conference - arguably the nation's toughest conference - MU showed it was a force to be reckoned with by earning berths in the conference tournament semifinals consecutive seasons in 2005-06. Most notably, the Golden Eagles made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006. During its magical run in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, Marquette advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.