Marquette Soccer Opens BIG EAST Play at Villanova
9/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
| 2017 Marquette Men's Soccer - Match 6 | |
| Marquette (0-4-1, 0-0-0) at Villanova (3-3-0, 0-0-0) | |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 16 | Noon CT |
| Location | Villanova Soccer Complex | Villanova, Pa. |
| Live Links | | BEDN  |
| Social Media | Twitter  (in-game updates) | Facebook  | Instagram  |
| Notes, etc. | Match Notes  |
KEY STORYLINES
- After a challenging opening slate and coming off a 2-0 defeat to No. 11 Virginia on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles seek to finally get in the win column in Saturday's BIG EAST opener at Villanova.
- Saturday's contest will be streamed live on the BIG EAST Digital Network via FOX Sports Go and the FOX Sports Go app. Nick Mantegna will have the call at the Villanova Soccer Complex.
- Villanova is Marquette's fifth opponent in six matches this season to have qualified for last year's NCAA tournament. The Wildcats were ousted by Akron in the first round, 2-0.
- Using Your Head: All three Marquette goals in 2017 have been scored off of headers. Brendan Skinner and Luka Prpa connected in a 2-2 draw vs. UIC, and Grant Owens vs. New Mexico.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Golden Eagles weathered a powerful Virginia squad to a scoreless first half in Charlottesville on Tuesday. On a broken play, the No. 11 Cavaliers broke through in the 48th minute before adding an insurance tally via a penalty in the 86th. Marquette was unable to take advantage of its rare opportunities and were outshot by UVa 15-7 on the night.
- Junior goalkeeper Luis Barraza made six saves, many of them in spectacular fashion. Grant Owens and Daniel Szczepanek combined for four of the team's seven shots.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- Villanova earned the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST tournament last season, falling to Butler in the semifinal before earning an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament and dropping a 2-0 result at Akron in the first round. The Wildcats were picked to finish fourth by the league's head coaches this season and are off to a 3-3 start this year, coming off a 2-0 win against Rider on Wednesday.
- The 'Cats were led by two of its seniors in the win over Rider as Andreas Bartosinski and Lucas Hodges found the back of the net. Bartosinski leads the team with three goals this season, while Hodges has two goals and an assist. In net, Will Steiner has played every minute and sports a 1.26 goals against average with a .758 save percentage and a shutout vs. Rider.
- 'Nova has one common opponent to Marquette as it fell to nationally-ranked Virginia 3-2 in double-overtime on the road in the season opener.
COMING UP NEXT
- Marquette returns home for its first BIG EAST Conference match-up at Valley Fields when it takes on Seton Hall Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:05 p.m. After that, the Golden Eagles head back out on the road against the likes of Milwaukee (Sept. 26), Georgetown (Sept. 30) and Wisconsin (Oct. 4).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. VILLANOVA
- The Golden Eagles trail the all-time series against the Wildcats, 1-3-1. Three of the five previous meetings have taken place in Eastern Pennsylvania, while the lone meetings in Milwaukee were a 1-1 draw back in 2014 and a 2-1 setback last season.
- In their previous meeting, MU took a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute on Patrick Seagrist's first career goal that ricocheted off the keeper. But then 'Nova's Jacob Anderson found the back of the net twice in the 62nd and 86th to notch his team the come from behind road win. MU lost despite a 20-7 shots advantage and 8-0 edge in corners.
- The last meeting at Villanova provided similar results as MU was unable to hold onto a 40th minute C. Nortey goal. The Wildcats scored in the 45th and 78th minutes for the win. Lucas Hodges got the 'Cats on the board with just 40 seconds remaining in the first half before Sean Sheridan gave his team a lead it would not relinquish. 'Nova held an 18-15 lead in shots with a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal.
OPENING BIG EAST PLAY
- This marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Golden Eagles will open BIG EAST play on the road and the eighth time in 10 years overall.
- Marquette looks to build on its 4-0-4 mark in league openers since 2009 when it faces Villanova on Saturday. Since then, the Golden Eagles have registered six shutouts, including five straight, with a goals differential of 10-2. MU hasn't allowed a goal in a BIG EAST lid-lifter since a 3-2 win at Syracuse back on Sept. 24, 2011.
