MSOC Takes on Notre Dame in Exhibition Wednesday Night

MILWAUKEE - Marquette opens its 2019 exhibition home slate with a mid-week match against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Led by second-year head coach Chad Riley, the Irish went 11-7-3 in his first year on the job in 2018. UND made it all the way to the quarterfinals at the NCAA Championships before falling to Indiana, 1-0.

The Golden Eagles kicked off their 2019 exhibition slate with a 0-0 draw at Loyola Chicago on Saturday despite outshooting the Ramblers, 16-5. Twenty-five players, including three goalkeepers and seven newcomers, saw action for MU during its exhibition lid-lifter.

Live stats and live stream will not be available for Wednesday's exhibition, but will be available for the home opener on Aug. 30 against UAB.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

MU returns 11 players who started games in 2018, including four who earned All-BIG EAST honors.
Seven of MU's nine BIG EAST matches in 2019 will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
Luis Barraza, Luka Prpa and Patrick Seagrist made First Team All-BIG EAST last year, which marks the most Golden Eagles to make all-conference first team since 2014.
Taby, Sweden, native Lukas Sunesson made the BIG EAST All-Freshman team in 2018, making it the eighth-straight year MU has had a first-year player earn the honor.
The top five goal scorers from 2018 all return for the Golden Eagles this season. They combined to score 21 of the teams 26 goals last year.
Eight newcomers enter the MU program this fall, including three transfers, who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Division II transfer Sam Thornton, who scored a conference-best 11 goals last year at Gannon University (Pa.), will enter the fray looking to provide an instant jolt to the Golden Eagles' offensive attack.

OPPONENT FORM:
Notre Dame (11-7-3, 4-3-1 ACC)
The Irish, who have been a consistent force on a national scale in the past 20 years, have made the NCAA tournament in every season but two since 1999. Head coach Chad Riley took over for Bobby Clark in 2018, who led the Irish from 2001-17. Clark posted winning seasons in each of his 17 years on the job and led his team to a national title in 2013. The Irish made the NCAA tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons.

Coming off a season that saw Notre Dame reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships, the Irish need to replace four of their top six goal scorers from 2018. Forwards Ian Ascheris (5 goals) and Jack Lynn (4 goals) will look to lead their team to national prominence. UND played 13 of its 21 games against top 25-ranked teams in 2018 and went 6-6-1.

SERIES HISTORY:
Marquette and Notre Dame haven't met since 2015, when the Irish defeated the Golden Eagles 4-2. UND leads the all-time series 16-7-4 and holds a 10-1-1 record against MU since the dawn of the 21st century. MU's last win in the series came on Oct. 12, 2011 at Valley Fields, when it took home a 1-0 victory.

KEY POINTS:
25 GOLDEN EAGLES PLAY AT LOYOLA CHICAGO: Twenty-five different players appeared for Marquette in a 0-0 draw on Saturday against Loyola Chicago in an exhibition match. Ten freshmen and two transfers also made their MU debuts. Senior Josh Coan led the team with three shots (one on goal), while freshmen AJ Franklin, Jonathan Robinson and Christian Marquez tallied two shots apiece.

PRPA LOOKS TO CEMENT LEGACY AT MU: Senior midfielder Luka Prpa has had a stellar first three years at MU. Heading into his final season, he ranks in the top-15 all-time in career points and assists and top-10 in career points per match. He led the team in points (18) and goals (6) in 2018 on the way to his third straight All-BIG EAST honor as he was named to the all-conference first team. Prpa is currently recovering from injury but is expected to be back in the lineup soon.

GOLDEN EAGLES RETURN EXPERIENCED BUNCH: 10 different position players that return for MU in 2019 started games last season. Out of the 11 projected starters heading into the season, six of them are seniors and five are sophomores.

UP NEXT:
MU takes on the Milwaukee Torrent on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. at Valley Fields in its final exhibition match. FanFest will also take place before the match beginning at 1 p.m. FanFest includes interactive games, a skill zone, and the opportunity to meet the team and get autographs. MU officially opens the regular season at Valley Fields on Friday, Aug. 30 against UAB at 7:05 p.m.

Tickets for all regular season home games are now on sale. Single game tickets are priced at $5 while groups of fifteen-or-more are $2 per person. Season tickets are $45 and include admission to all games as well as an exclusive Marquette Soccer scarf.

Single game and season tickets are available online here. For groups, call the ticket office at 414-288-4668.

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).