WSOC Hosts Providence, Xavier This Week

The Marquette University women's soccer team (4-10-3, 1-5-1 BIG EAST) wraps up the home portion of its 2024 campaign this week when the team welcomes Providence to Valley Fields on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. and Xavier at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27.

The Golden Eagles will conclude regular season action on Oct. 31 at Seton Hall.

Seniors Honored vs. Xavier

Marquette will honor the 12 members of its 2024 senior class during a pregame ceremony on Oct. 27.

Brooke Bisko, Aislinn Boyle, Caroline Cline, Kate Gibson, Mia Haertle, Molly Keiper, Alexa Maletis, Carina Murphy, Tess O'Connell, Chloe Olson, Julia O'Neill and Maggie Starker will be joined on the field by friends and family on Sunday afternoon.

The group has accounted for nearly 500 appearances and 250 starts and has collected 26 goals and 21 assists through Oct. 21.

The longest-tenured member of the group if fifth-year senior Alexa Maletis, who joined the program for the 2020 campaign.

O'Connell Shoulders Scoring Load

Senior midfielder Tess O'Connell netted her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 1-1 draw at DePaul on Oct. 6, becoming just the third player since 2018 to net five-or-more scores in a season.

Alyssa Bombacino (7, 2019) and Katrina Wetherell (5, 2021) both led their respective teams in goals and Bombacino was aided by a hat trick in a 3-1 win over Villanova.

The Wilmington, Mass., native netted just one score in her 66 career matches at Rhode Island, but now owns five in 17 outings this year with the Golden Eagles.

Lineup Featuring New Faces

Through 17 matches of the year, 22 different players have earned at least one starting assignment and of that group, 13 have made their respective first-ever starts for Marquette (multiple collegiate debuts).

Just four players - Emily Fix, Tess O'Connell, Adrianna Alberts and Mia Haertle have started all 17 matches.

Injuries have also been a factor in lineup combinations, with 12 players missing at least one match, including a trio (Ruhland, Downs, Keiper) who won't play at all in 2024.

MU Honors Dr. Lovell In 2024

The women's soccer team, and all programs at MU, will honor former president Dr. Michael R. Lovell (LUV-uhl) this season by wearing patches on its uniforms in 2024-25.

Dr. Lovell passed away in June after a courageous battle with cancer and was a tremendous ambassador for the university and greater Milwaukee community.

Dr. Lovell served at MU for 10 years and was a strong supporter of all the student-athletes at the university and a familiar face in the crowd at hundreds of competitions.

2024 Senior Class Biographies

Alexa Maletis, who was honored on senior day last season. Alexa has already earned her degree in exercise physiology and is currently working on her master's in athletic training. Thank you and best of luck Alexa!

Brooke Bisko is in her first season at Marquette after a pair of campaigns at Eckerd College. She has appeared in 10 matches for the Golden Eagles in 2024 and scored a goal against Mercyhurst on her first shot of the season. She is currently working on a graduate degree in leadership.

Aislinn Boyle has appeared in over 30 career matches for the Golden Eagles and netted her first-career goal against Providence as a freshman. A member of the BIG EAST Academic Honor Roll, Boyle will graduate this spring with a degree in marketing.

Caroline Cline has appeared in over 50 career matches for the Golden Eagles and owns a pair of career goals, including the game winner at Colorado in 2023. A three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection, she will graduate this spring with a degree in biomedical sciences and a minor in business administration.

Kate Gibson has appeared in nearly 70 career matches for the Golden Eagles dating back to 2021 and owns seven-career goals, including two game winners. A three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree, she will graduate this spring with an interdisciplinary environmental science degree.

Mia Haertle has started 53 of the team's last 54 matches and owns over 60 career appearances for the Golden Eagles. She has collected five career points, including a goal at DePaul in 2022. Haertle will graduate this spring with a degree in political science and is a three-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

Molly Keiper has appeared in over 35 career matches for the Golden Eagles in two seasons of action at Marquette. President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Keiper is a multiple-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team. She is on track to graduate this spring with a degree in public relations.

Carina Murphy, who scored her first-career goal earlier this season against St. Thomas, has appeared in over 30 career matches for Marquette. She is on track to graduate in 2025 with a degree in advertising and a minor in marketing and is a member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

Tess O'Connell joined the program in 2024 from Rhode Island and leads the Golden Eagles in scoring this season with five goals. She has started every match and owns over 6,000 minutes played in a collegiate career that includes over 80 appearances. She earned a bachelor's degree from URI in nursing and is enrolled in the leadership master's program at MU.

Chloe Olson owns over 20 career starts in net for the Golden Eagles dating back to 2022, seeing over 2,000 minutes of action in goal. She has twice stopped a personal-best nine shots in an outing and owns over 10 career victories. A member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team, she will graduate this spring with a degree in environmental engineering.

Julia O'Neill owns over 60 career appearances, including almost 30 starts, and a pair of goals and assists for the Golden Eagles. A standout in the classroom, the multiple BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection currently owns a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average in nursing and is on track to graduate this spring with honors.

Maggie Starker owns five-career goals for the Golden Eagles, including three game winners, and was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in 2021. She has appeared in over 50 matches and owns nearly 30 starting assignments. A member of the BIG EAST All-Academic team the last three seasons, she will graduate this spring with a degree in finance and is a part of MU's AIM program.