Fourth-Seeded Marquette Hosts Fifth-Seeded Xavier in BIG EAST First Round

MILWAUKEE -- The Golden Eagles secured the fourth seed and a home match in the BIG EAST Championship first round following their 2-0 home win over DePaul on Senior Night. Meanwhile, Xavier put up five in a two-goal home victory over Butler to move up to the fifth seed.

Grant Owens made the most of his senior night, scoring his first goal of the season and eventual match-winner in the 20th minute on Wednesday. A pair of freshmen did the rest as Lukas Sunesson added an insurance tally in the 31st minute and Cedrik Stern made nine saves, including eight key second-half stops, en route to his first career win and shutout.

Marquette and Xavier meet for the second time this season and the 10th meeting all-time. The Golden Eagles earned a confidence-building 2-1 comeback win two weeks ago and improved to 6-3-0 all-time against the Musketeers.

The winner of Saturday's first round matchup will advance to play top-seeded No. 14 Creighton on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7:05 p.m. CT.

OPPONENT FORM
XAVIER (6-7-5, 4-4-1 BIG EAST)
When Xavier visited Milwaukee back on Oct. 18, it was in the middle of a five-match losing streak. After a stunning home loss to DePaul on Oct. 24, the Musketeers righted the ship and closed out the regular season with two-straight wins over Seton Hall and Butler to clinch its sixth-straight postseason berth. Xavier has never finished below fifth place since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

Samson Sergi erupted for three goals in the team's 5-3 comeback win over Butler on Wednesday to tie Simen Hestnes for tops on the squad with eight goals. The Musketeers lead the BIG EAST with 28 scores, but have outscored its opponents by just two this season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
ALL-TIME SERIES: Marquette and Xavier are set to meet for the 10th time, including their second meeting this season. In a series that dates back to 1987, the Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 6-3-0. Back on Oct. 18, Marquette overcame a 1-0 deficit to defeat Xavier thanks to two goals from Luka Prpa in the 68th and 77th minutes.

The Golden Eagles have now won each of its last two home games against the Musketeers. In 2016, Marquette erupted in a 4-1 win. Prpa got the home side on the board with a 10th minute penalty before adding his eighth goal of the campaign in the 18th minute. Daniel Szczepanek had a goal and two assists, while Connor Alba added a goal and an assist. Luis Barraza made nine saves in the win, including seven in the second half. The Golden Eagles are 4-1-0 against Xavier at home all-time.

HIGH FIVE, HANDFUL EARNS ALL-BIG EAST HONORS FOR MARQUETTE: Senior Luis Barraza was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and joined juniors Luka Prpa and Patrick Seagrist on the first team. Connor Alba was a second team honoree, while Lukas Sunesson garnered All-Freshman Team honors. It was the third-straight all-league honor for Prpa, while the others earned their first.

UNDER-MANNED, OVER-DELIVERED: Luis Barraza suffered the unfortunate fate of a red card and ejection early in the second half of Marquette's 2-1 victory over Butler on Sunday. It left the Golden Eagles vulnerable for the final 43:13 of the game, but the defense prevailed. It was the second time this season the back line was left in a man-down scenario after Alan Salmeron's ejection in a 0-0 draw against Georgetown back on Sept. 29. The Golden Eagles, when being a man-down this season, have not allowed a goal in the run of play for a combined 91:30.

BIG EAST TOURNEY FEVER: The Golden Eagles are 5-5 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship and make their first appearance since 2014, which ended with first round loss to third-seeded Georgetown on the road. Saturday marks third home game in the BIG EAST Championship all-time and first since 2012 when it defeated Cincinnati in the first round, 3-0. The previous home match was also the first since joining the BIG EAST, which resulted in a 1-0 loss to 15th-ranked Louisville in 2011.

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.