MU Concludes Regular Season Monday at 8/5 UConn
11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 2, 2009
STORRS, Conn. -- With their postseason ticket already punched, the Marquette Golden Eagles men's soccer team travels Monday to No. 8/5 Connecticut for the regular-season finale, a make-up contest from last Wednesday's postponed match with the nationally ranked Huskies.
Kick off is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Morrone Stadium. Last Wednesday's match at UConn was postponed due to heavy rain and standing water that rendered the pitch unplayable.
Marquette (4-9-3, 3-4-3 BIG EAST), which secured the Blue Division's No. 6 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship with Saturday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh, will play its first-round match Thursday (6:30 p.m. CT) at USF. The Bulls garnered the third seed in the Red Division.
But first head coach Louis Bennett's squad must face a Huskies (10-3-3, 7-2-1 BIG EAST) team that is in need of a win Monday to clinch the Blue Division's top seed in conference tournament.
MU's win over Pitt could be a momentum builder, as the Golden Eagles broke out of a two-game scoring slump to net five goals, including a hat trick by redshirt freshman Chris Madsen, who also tallied an assist against the Panthers.
GAME CAPSULE
Marquette vs. 8/5 Connecticut
Monday, Nov. 2 (6 p.m. CT)
Morrone Stadium: Storrs, Conn.
Series Information:
Connecticut leads all-time series, 5-0
Marquette Television/Radio:
Audio: none
Television:?none
Live Stats:
www.uconnhuskies.com
KEY STORYLINES
Monday's game is the last regular season match left in the BIG EAST. It is a make-up from last Wednesday's scheduled contest at Connecticut, which was postponed following heavy rain last week that rendered the pitch unplayable. MU enters tonight's game having already secured the Blue Division's No. 6 seed in the upcoming conference tournament, while the Huskies are currently in second place and would need a win to claim the division's top seed.
SERIES HISTORY
Connecticut is 5-0 all-time against Marquette. Last time the Golden Eagles traveled to UConn it took the Huskies extra time to pull away with a 2-1 overtime victory over MU.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
UConn had a nine-game unbeaten streak snapped with Saturday's 2-1 loss at Notre Dame. Goalkeeper Josh Ford is among the top shot stoppers in the country with 11 shutouts this season as the Huskies entered the week ranked sixth in NCAA?Division I with a goals against average (0.44).
LAST TIME OUT
After getting shutout in their two previous matches, the Golden Eagles' offense erupted in a 5-0 rout over Pittsburgh on "Senior Day" this past Saturday. Chris Madsen recorded a hat trick and his seven points (three goals, one assist) tied a single-game record at Valley Fields. The win clinched Marquette's first postseason berth since 2002 and first since becoming a member of the BIG EAST (2005). Matt Pyzdrowski made three saves en route to his fifth shutout of the season and 11th career clean sheet.
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
Marquette is the No. 6 seed in the Blue Division, which means the Golden Eagles will travel to Tampa, Fla., where they will play USF?in the First Round of the 2009 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. (CT). The Bulls, who were ranked No. 9 in the most recent NSCAA/adidas poll, garnered the No. 3 seed in the Red Division, earning them a first-round home match in the cross-divisional format. MU came from behind to draw 1-1 at USF to open BIG EAST play on Sept. 18. n a game-leveling goal by freshman Adam Lysak. Thursday's winner will advance to the Quarterfinals to play the No. 2 seed in the Blue Division (UConn or Notre Dame).
MU AGAINST TOP-RANKED TEAMS
Monday's match against UConn will mark the fourth Marquette opponent this season that is ranked in the top 10 nationally, according to the NSCAA/adidas poll. MU fell to No. 9 UC Irvine earlier this season, 1-0, and came from behind to draw at No. 5 USF (1-1) and against No. 9 Louisville (2-2). MU has faced a total of eight teams in 2009 that were nationally ranked or receiving votes in one or more of the four major polls at the time of the game.
MADSEN'S HAT TRICK WORTHY OF PRAISE
Chris Madsen netted three goals, in addition to one assist, in Marquette's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 31. The performance tied single-game records for goals (3) and points (7) scored by an individual at Valley Fields. Madsen was rewarded with being named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week on Nov. 2.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
MU's 5-0 decision over Pittsburgh on Oct. 31 was a breakout performance for the Golden Eagles' offense. It was the most goals scored by MU during head coach Louis Bennett's tenure with the program. It was also the most goals scored in a single game since Oct. 18, 2003 when MU defeated East Carolina by the same tally.
RISING STARS
Marquette's underclassmen have provided the bulk of scoring in 2009. In all, 31 of the team's 37 points on offense (83.8 percent) have been recorded by freshmen or sophomores. Redshirt freshman Chris Madsen leads the squad with nine points (4 goals, 1 assist) followed by three goals by sophomore Calum Mallace (6 pts).
