WSOC Hosts Marquette Challenge Cup

The Marquette University women's soccer team (0-3-1, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) will host a pair of matches this week in the Marquette Challenge Cup, which enters its second year in 2024.

The Golden Eagles welcome UIC on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. CT and Minnesota at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 1.

Milwaukee will also face the Gophers (Aug. 29) and Flames (Sept. 1) to complete the four-team field. The tournament winner will be determined by the two-match results and an all-tourney team will be named.

In 2023, Milwaukee claimed the cup with a win over Minnesota and a draw against Denver.

Gibson Hero In Hometown Draw

Kansas City native Kate Gibson headed home an Alexa Maletis corner kick with 12 seconds left in regulation to allow Marquette to rally for a 1-1 draw against Kansas City on Sunday afternoon at Valley Fields.

Playing in her 51st career game for MU, the St. Teresa's Academy product netted her first goal since scoring on Sept. 21, 2023 versus DePaul in a 2-1 victory.

Unfortunately for MU, Gibson's goal is the only ball to find the back of the net through four matches. The team's offensive struggles span back to 2023, when the squad netted just 11 goals the entire season.

Lineup Features New Faces

Marquette's starting lineup in the opener against Colorado featured six players making their respective first-career starts with the Golden Eagles, including three collegiate debuts.

In each of the first four outings in 2024, at least one player was on the field for the opening whistle for the first time. A total of 11 players have now made their starting lineup debut for the Blue & Gold this season.

Allen Makes Debut As Head Coach

The season opener marked the head-coaching debut for Chris Allen, who is in his first year with the Golden Eagles after a successful eight-year run on the staff at Saint Louis.

Allen helped guide SLU to a 131-30-11 overall record, five Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championships (67-6-5 record in A-10), six A-10 tournament titles and six-straight NCAA Championship appearances.

During his tenure, Allen coached five All-America selections, 15 all-region honorees and 25 all-conference team members. A total of 10 players claimed an A-10 player of the year award (offensive, defensive, goalkeeper, rookie) and multiple student-athletes were honored for academic success.

MU Honors Dr. Lovell In 2024

The Marquette women's soccer team, and all programs at MU, will honor former president Dr. Michael R. Lovell 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 Marquette 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 during his tenure.

MU Faces Familiar Opponents

The Golden Eagles have faced both UIC and Minnesota in recent seasons.

MU is 1-1-1 all-time against the Flames, with all three meetings coming since 2021. Marquette has earned a pair of wins over the Gophers in a series that dates back to 1993 and includes a meeting in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

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Players Mentioned

Kate Gibson

Alexa Maletis