Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
West Virginia (BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals)
No. 10 Golden Eagles Advance to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship
11/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 6, 2009
Box Score (PDF) 
| Video Highlights (Courtesy of CBSC)
STORRS, Conn. - Sophomore Rachael Sloan's goal in the 27th minute was all the No. 10 Marquette women's soccer team needed to defeat West Virginia, 1-0, and advance to its first-ever BIG EAST Tournament Championship. The Golden Eagles will play No. 1 National Division seed Notre Dame on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Noon ET at Morrone Stadium on the campus of the University of Connecticut. The game will be televised live on CBS College Sports as well as locally in Milwaukee on Sports32.
The win puts Marquette at 15-4-2 on the season and pushes its unbeaten streak to nine games, while the Mountaineers fall to 9-6-6 overall.
Sloan put Marquette on the board at the 26:35 mark after West Virginia was whistled for a foul in its own lower third. Junior Julia Victor took the ensuing free kick and sent it to the left side to senior Brittany Bares. Bares got her foot on the ball and served the ball across the goal mouth where Sloan one-timed it past West Virginia keeper Kerri Butler. The goal marked Sloan's sixth of the season and fifth game winner.
"Congrats to our team! Our staff is extremely proud of them on how they played today," said head coach Markus Roeders. "We knew it would be a battle and West Virginia was a great opponent. Our team played excellent soccer for much of the game and battled like champions. It is an amazing feeling to make it to our first BIG EAST Tournament Final. Defensively, we did what has carried us all year, hard work and a commitment to battle as a team. The goal was outstanding and a true team effort. To earn another shutout against a team as high quality as WVU is terrific. We don't have much time, but the team will be ready for the final on Sunday."
Marquette pressured early with Sloan having a great opportunity in the third minute. Sloan found herself one-on-one with a West Virginia defender about 10 yards in front of the goal. She tried to turn and shoot, but was smothered by two members of the Mountaineer defense and the ball was knocked away.
The Golden Eagles had four additional opportunities in the first half as Kristi Laurenzi, Lindsay Page, and Becky Ryan all registered shots on goal, while Marquette's defense swallowed virtually every opportunity the Mountaineers tried to create. The Golden Eagles limited WVU to just two shots for the first half.
West Virginia nearly tied the game early in the second half at the 49:00 minute mark. Kulla mishandled Megan Mischler's shot from 15 yards out. Mischler then charged forward and gained control of the loose ball, but her shot hit the post and ricocheted out of bounds.
Moments later Marquette had a great opportunity to get an insurance goal when Stephanie Vasos served the ball into the 18-yard box to a wide-open Ashley Bares. Bares got her head on it, but sent the ball high over the goal.
West Virginia continued to pressure with nine shots in the second half, but Marquette's defense was superb denying every chance the Mountaineers had. Kulla earned her seventh straight shutout, 15th of the season and finished the game with six saves, all in the second half.
Game Notes
?Marquette advances to its first BIG EAST Tournament Championship since joining the league in 2005.
? The Golden Eagles improve to 5-3 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play. Roeders' teams are 21-12-1 all-time in conference tournaments. The Golden Eagles captured the Conference-USA Tournament Title in back-to-back seasons in 1999 and 2000. They have made seven appearances in conference tournament final and stand 2-4-1 in those matches.
? The win pushes Marquette's unbeaten streak to eight games and its win streak to six games.
? Sloan's goal was the first ever goal scored by Marquette in the tournament semifinals. It was also just the second goal scored tagainst the Mountaineers in series history.
? Friday's win over Mountaineers marked the Golden Eagles' first in series history. Marquette is 1-5 all-time against West Virginia.
?Sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla earned her 15th shutout of the season, 21st of her career. Kulla has not allowed a goal in over 748 straight minutes.
?Marquette has won 10 games by a one-goal margin including its last four games.
