Men's Soccer Travels to BIG EAST Leader No. 19 Creighton on Wednesday

MILWAUKEE -- The Golden Eagles followed a statement with yet another as they registered their first come-from-behind victory of the season in a 2-1 triumph over Xavier at Valley Fields on Saturday.

Luka Prpa continued his hot stretch, scoring twice in the second half to propel Marquette to victory. For the second-straight week, he earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Patrick Seagrist, who led the back line and assisted on Prpa's game-winner in the 77th minute, was named the Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year. The win has MU in sole possession of fourth place as it pushes for a BIG EAST tournament spot.

Creighton dropped 11 spots to No. 19 in the in the United Soccer Coaches poll after a pair of winless outings last week. It lost 1-0 at Akron before settling for a scoreless draw vs. Providence at home, but remained atop the league standings and is the first team to clinch a spot in the BIG EAST tournament.

Following Wednesday's match, Marquette heads to Indianapolis to close out the regular season road schedule against Butler on Saturday, then returns home for Senior Night and the regular season finale vs. DePaul on Halloween night.

OPPONENT FORM
CREIGHTON (9-3-2, 5-0-1 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays have a three-point lead on Georgetown and Providence, which are tied for second in the league standings. Creighton boasts the league's top defense and ranks third-nationally with a 0.48 goals against average with seven shutouts. It has not allowed more than one goal in any game this season and is 5-1-2 at home with a 2-0-1 league mark at Morrison stadium.

Sven Koenig is tied for the league-lead with seven goals, while four others have just two goals apiece. Paul Kruse leads the BIG EAST and ranks fourth in the nation with a 0.48 GAA.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
ALL-TIME SERIES: Marquette and Creighton hook up for the 14th time with the Bluejays leading the all-time series, 7-6-0. The Golden Eagles snapped a three-match losing streak in 2017, but Bluejays maintain a three-match home winning streak dating back to 2004. Prior to that, MU had won three-of-four road meetings in Omaha.

Last year, the Golden Eagles raced out to a 4-0 lead only to hang on for a thrilling, 4-3, win. Luka Prpa tied a program record by assisting on all four goals scored by Connor Alba (5'), Manuel Cukaj (18'), Grant Owens (33') and Ruben Sanchez (61'). The 'Jays answered back in the 63', 83' and 90' before time ran out on a miraculous comeback try.

VINTAGE LUKA PRPA: The junior midfielder and co-captain of the Golden Eagles is having a season reminiscent of his 26-point freshman campaign. In his previous two games, Prpa has eight points on three goals and two assists and is up to a team-best 13 points on four goals and five assists (most in the BIG EAST) for the season. He has five assists in two previous match-ups against Creighton, including a program record four assists in last season's 4-0 win at home.

COMEBACK KIDS: Marquette recorded its first come-from-behind win after overcoming a sixth minute Xavier goal to win 2-1 at home on Saturday. It was the type of team-building victory head coach Louis Bennett was looking for and the first comeback win for his squad since Sept. 2, 2016 when they knocked off UIC on the road, 4-1, after going down 1-0 in the first minute of the game.

BARRAZA HAVING HISTORIC SEASON: Senior goalkeeper Luis Barraza has been honored by the BIG EAST four times this season after earning his second Goalkeeper of the Week award on Oct. 15. He is unbeaten in three of his last four outings and sports a career-best 0.78 GAA this season, which would be tied for the second-best single-season mark in program history. The Santa Teresa, New Mexico, native also leads the BIG EAST and ranks second in the nation in save percentage (.860).

WINNING IN THE CLASSROOM: For the 10th-straight year, Marquette was recognized by the United Soccer Coaches with the Team Academic Award. Each year, the organization honors college programs for their exemplary performance in the classroom that meet or exceed a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). The Golden Eagles posted a 3.17 GPA during the 2017-18 academic year.

MARQUETTE PAYS TRIBUTE TO STEVE ADLARD: Marquette's winningest coach in program history, Steve Adlard, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, Sept. 18, succumbing to his long battle with cancer. He guided the Golden Eagles to 140 victories in 14 seasons (1992-2005) and a pair of Conference USA regular season titles, including the 1997 team that earned the first NCAA tournament berth in program history. He was named the Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 1993.

Steve was instrumental in making Valley Fields what it is today and was instrumental in establishing the Marquette women's soccer program. He even recruited the first class to take the field in 1993. Steve was more than just a coach on the field. He was a mentor to many individuals and a gifted teacher of this beautiful game. He will be missed. May he rest in peace.

Marquette will honor Coach Adlard by wearing a black armband for the remainder of the season.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: Head coach Louis Bennett and his staff continue to attract talent from all over the world as evidenced by the host of international representation on the roster. This year's roster features players from England, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, as well as eight different states. The flags of all nation's represented by this year's roster are displayed behind both team benches during home matches at Valley Fields.