For a while, it appeared that the free-falling Golden Eagles were wearing knapsacks instead of parachutes.

On second tug, the chutes deployed.

Winning its first game in four tries, Marquette defeated the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix 1-0 Wednesday night at Valley Fields.

"We went to the ball more strongly tonight," said head coach Steve Adlard. "I thought we were primed to score early. We had some (scoring) opportunities, but it didn't happen."

Ten minutes into the game, a Phoenix defender whiffed at the ball inside his own box, and senior midfielder Blair Kohlmeyer was lying in wait.

Kohlmeyer took an immediate shot, had it blocked and then was called for a handball on the rebound.

As if the Golden Eagles' continuing offensive futility was not enough, the team was also victimized by injury.

In the twelfth minute, Pat Knoelke lumbered off the field and would not return.

According to Adlard, Knoelke was feeling considerable discomfort behind his knee, and the coach wanted to save his junior midfielder for Saturday's match versus Providence.

With 16 minutes to play in the first half, freshman forward Duncan Silvert-Noftle collided with a Phoenix defender and remained on the ground for several minutes, holding his left ankle.

Coach Adlard said the trainers do not believe the injury to be serious, but Silvert-Noftle stayed on the bench for the rest of the game.

With Silvert-Noftle, the team's current leading scorer, joining junior forward Matt Blouin on the injured list, it was gut-check time once again for the Golden Eagles.

"We just knew we had to keep fighting," said junior midfielder Bryan Dahlquist. "We had to keep pushing."

With time winding down in the first half, all of Marquette's exertion finally paid off.

In the 33rd minute, junior midfielder Ryan Nikchevich redirected a throw in by sophomore defender Mike Carlson to freshman midfielder Jamie Zarse at the top of the Phoenix box.

Off-balance, Zarse struck a shot that rolled its way past the goalie and into the back of the net for the lone goal of the match.

"It was a lovely goal. Textbook," Adlard said. "Everybody else was trying to kill it instead of just putting the ball where the keeper is not."

Handling a lead for the first time in over 300 minutes of play, the Marquette defense did its part in the second half.

Sophomore goalkeeper Steven Grow and the Golden Eagles defenders limited the Phoenix to four shots on goal and more importantly, did not allow a game-tying goal.

"This was, psychologically, a very important win for us," Adlard said. "The defense, especially in the last 20 minutes, played with tremendous heart."

While the defense has not been an issue for most of the season, the team is encouraged that its offense began to show signs of life.

On the night, the Golden Eagles totaled 15 shots, six on goal.

"It's huge that we defended our home turf," Zarse said. "Honestly, I think after we score a few scrappy goals like we did tonight, we'll gain momentum, and goals will start to flow."

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 13, 2005.