Marquette Soccer Hosts Creighton Wednesday Night
10/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
| 2017 Marquette Men's Soccer - Match 14 | |
| Marquette (2-9-2, 2-3-1 BIG EAST) vs. Creighton (8-4-2, 2-2-2 BIG EAST) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Oct. 25 | 7:05 p.m. CT |
| Location | Valley Fields | Milwaukee |
| Live Links | | BEDN  |
| Social Media | Twitter  (in-game updates) | Facebook  | Instagram  |
| Notes, etc. | Match Notes  |
KEY STORYLINES
- The Golden Eagles dropped from third place to sixth in the BIG EAST standings after Saturday's 1-0 setback at Xavier, but still are in control of their own destiny toward earning a tournament spot.
- Marquette leads Xavier in the all-time series with a record of 5-2. It was a convincing 4-1 win in Milwaukee last time out. MU will try to avenge a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss at Xavier in 2015.
- Wednesday's match will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network at 7:05 p.m. Central time with Patrick Reed on the call along with sideline reporter Andrew Goldstein.
- Head Games: Marquette's first five goals in 2017 were all scored off of headers, but none since a 4-2 win over Seton Hall (Sept. 23). The seven goals since have been via the non-header variety, thanks to Daniel Szczepanek (2), Diego NÃÆ'Æ'ºÃÆ'Æ'±ez (2), Jason Davis, Brendan Skinner and Connor Alba.
LAST TIME OUT
- Marquette suffered their sixth shutout of the season in a narrow 1-0 setback at Xavier on Saturday. MU fell victim to a Josh Grant goal in the 49th minute that came on a loose ball in the box.
- The Golden Eagles had at least one quality chance in each half and outshot the Musketeers, 7-6, in the final 45 minutes. Each finishing with two shots were Steffen Bohm, Luka Prpa and Brody Kraussel, who put both of his on target. Noah Heim started in net for Marquette, stopping four shots.
- The loss dropped MU three spots in the standings, but still in possession of the what would be the sixth and final BIG EAST tournament spot if the season ended today. With three games remaining (Creighton, Butler, DePaul), MU is still in control of its own destiny for one of the six playoff spots.
SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS
- Creighton enters Wednesday's match with a head of steam. Unbeaten in their last four matches, the Bluejays are 8-4-2 overall, 2-2-2 and in fifth place with eight points in the BIG EAST standings. CU ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST with 25 goals scored and features the second-largest goal differential (+10) in the league. The 'Jays are coming off a scoreless draw to Providence on the road last time out, following convincing wins at home vs. Drake (6-1) and Xavier (4-1).
- Tied for the league-lead in goals (9) and points (20) is Ricky Lopez-Espin, who also features two game-winning tallies. He is the lone Creighton player in double-digits in points as Lucas Stauffer and Joel Rydstrand are the next ranking point-getters with nine and eight points, respectively. In 13 appearances in goal, Micheal Kluver (8-3-1) sports a 0.90 GAA and .761 save percentage (35 saves).
COMING UP NEXT
- Marquette closes out the home portion with crucial BIG EAST match-ups against Butler (Oct. 25) and Creighton (Oct. 28; Senior Night). Wednesday's kickoff vs. the Bluejays is slated for 7:05 p.m. Central time with live streaming available via BIG EAST Digital Network and FOX Sports Go.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. CREIGHTON
- The all-time series, which dates all the way back to 1983, is split evenly after the first 12 meetings. Marquette earned victories in six of the first nine meetings, while Creighton is seeking its fifth win in the last six tries including a fourth straight victory on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles will aim for their first win in the series since a 1-0 victory in Milwaukee back in 2013.
- Last time the two teams met was Oct. 15, 2016 in Omaha when the Bluejays survived a 2-1 win on their home turf. Ricardo Perez accounted for both goals - one in each half. The match-winner came on a deflected free kick by Perez in the 80th minute. Creighton outshot the Golden Eagles, 9-0, in the first half, but MU returned the favor by an 8-3 margin in the final 45 minutes. Luka Prpa assisted Jan Maertins for the lone MU goal and short-lived equalizer in the 72nd minute.
OVERTIME STUNNER LEADS TO BIG EAST AWARDS FOR CUKAJ, ALBA
- The 1-0 double-overtime win at St. John's marked the first clean sheet for the Golden Eagle defense this season - a long-overdue achievement for a hard-working, young backline. Manuel Cukaj, who missed some time due to injury, returned for the first time in six games with 71 very productive minutes off the bench and was awarded with BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades.
- Sophomore Connor Alba, who scored the game-winner with 26 seconds left, was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. That marks the fourth-straight week a Golden Eagle has made the honor roll with Daniel Szczepanek (Sept. 25), Diego NÃÆ'Æ'ºÃÆ'Æ'±ez (Oct. 2) and Jason Davis (Oct. 9) honored previously.
MARQUETTE CLAIMS TEAM ACADEMIC HONOR FROM UNITED SOCCER COACHES
- For the ninth consecutive season, the Marquette men's and women's soccer programs were recognized by the United Soccer Coaches for their excellence in the classroom, earning the Team Academic award for the 2016-17 academic year.
- Each year, the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) honor college programs for their exemplary performance in the classroom that meet or exceed a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). Individually, sophomore Luka Prpa led the way with a 4.0 GPA in each semester.
Keep up with the Marquette men's soccer program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteSoccer) and Instagram (@MarquetteSoccer) and `liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteSoccer).
