Men's Soccer Travels to BIG EAST Foe Providence on Saturday

MILWAUKEE -- With six BIG EAST Conference matches remaining, the Golden Eagles currently sit in a tie with Georgetown and Xavier for fourth place in the league standings at 1-1-1, while Saturday's opponent, Providence, is two points ahead in third place and coming off two-straight victories.

Marquette is looking to put an end to a shutout streak of 297 minutes following its third-straight shutout in the scoreless draw against Georgetown last time out. However, if the second half against the Hoyas was any indication, they may be ready to turn a corner and look like the team that scored seven times in the season's opening two contests.

MU and Providence meet on Saturday for the 14th time with the Friars holding a 7-4-2 edge with a four-match (2-0-2) unbeaten streak. The Golden Eagles are 3-3-0 all-time in Rhode Island's capital.

Following Saturday's match, Marquette returns home to Valley Fields to host a pair of BIG EAST foes in St. John's (Oct. 13) and Xavier (Oct. 20).

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).

OPPONENT FORM
PROVIDENCE (5-4-1, 2-1-0 BIG EAST)
The Friars enter Saturday with two-straight wins at Butler and at home against then-No. 22 Xavier. They opened league play with a stunning double-overtime setback to DePaul, but currently sit in third place in the league standings. PC has wins over two ranked teams this year, including then-No. 8 SMU in the season opener, followed by Xavier last time out. The Friars had a scheduled home match against UConn on Tuesday cancelled after 60 minutes due to lightning. They were leading 1-0.

PC has been outscored 14-12 this season. Tiago Mendonca leads the Friars with four goals and eight points. Gil Santos and Andual Chisholm each have two goals and an assist. In goal, Colin Miller has started all 10 matches and owns a 1.35 GAA with a .682 save percentage and three shutouts.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
ALL-TIME SERIES: Marquette and Providence meet for the 14th time on Saturday. After dropping the first five meetings in the series between 2006-10, the Golden Eagles rallied off four-straight wins from 2011-13, including two wins in '13 - both away from home - with the latter coming in a 3-2 victory in the BIG EAST championship game in Chester, Pa. That would mark the beginning of Marquette's magical run to the Sweet 16.

The Golden Eagles are 3-3 all-time in Providence, last falling in the Rhode Island capital back in 2016 when Luka Prpa's 78th-minute goal was too little, too late in a 2-1 setback. Last year, both sides played to a 2-2 draw at Valley Fields. Danny Griffin got the Friars on the board in the 18th minute before back-to-back Golden Eagle goals by Jason Davis (64') and Brendan Skinner (72'). But then, Mac Steeves tallied the tying goal in the 79th minute. Both finished with 17 shots and five corners in the deadlock.

SEARCHING FOR OFFENSE: The Golden Eagles are trying to put an end to a 297-minute scoreless streak on Saturday. The team's last goal came on Patrick Seagrist's 83rd-minute tally against UW-Milwaukee on Sept. 19. Providence enters the weekend having allowed more than one goal per contest, including multiple goals on five separate occasions.

LATE-GAME HEROICS: Both Marquette and Providence have scored 12 goals in 10 games this season with the majority of their damage coming after halftime. MU has scored seven times in the second half, while PC has notched 10 goals in the second half and overtime, including a double-overtime winner over then-No. 8 SMU in the regular season opener.

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 black armbands 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.