The spark that propelled the Golden Eagles to victory against 13th-ranked Illinois on Friday night came from the most unlikely of situations — an injury.

Seven minutes into the first half, senior defender Courtney Sinsky slid in front of the goal to knock away an Illini shot and collided with sophomore goalkeeper Laura Boyer in the process.

Down for quite some time as she was tended to by Marquette trainers, Sinsky would leave the game with a slight concussion and a gash on the inside of her mouth.

Losing an experienced starting defender could have proved fatal for the Golden Eagles' back line, but head coach Markus Roeders believes Sinsky's all-out effort inspired his team for the remainder of the game.

"Courtney was hurt on a gutsy play," Roeders said. "She put her body on the line to prevent a score."

Subbing in for Sinsky was freshman defender Allison McBride, who played the game without the deer-in-the-headlights look one might expect to see from a player logging her first minutes of collegiate competition.

"There were some nerves initially," McBride said. "But at the end of the day, you just have to get out there and play."

And play she did.

Along with senior Heather Goranson and juniors Michelle Martin and Michelle Pitzl, McBride spent the rest of the night corrupting the Illini offense.

Illinois, aside from a few late runs and corner kicks, was not able to put together a concentrated plan of attack the entire night. Its best chance came with 12 minutes left when a potential match-tying goal was ruled offside.

"A lot of people think highly of (Illinois)," Roeders said. "Now, they will think highly of us."

News and Notes:

Another player who stepped up in her first game as a Golden Eagle was sophomore goalkeeper Laura Boyer. A redshirt transfer from Iowa State, Boyer recorded her first collegiate shut-out in regular season play. Friday's match was a little bit personal for Boyer, for she wanted to play well on her mom's birthday…

In twelve games played last season, sophomore forward Christy Zwolski scored one goal. Zwolski has already matched last season's total in one game played this year, as she scored the game-winner against the Illini…

McBride was not the only one getting her first taste of Division I soccer Friday night. True freshman Katie Kelly, as well as redshirt freshmen Britni Benage and Aubrey Trembly, played significant roles in the Golden Eagles' victory…

According to Roeders, the key for his team now will be to see if it can continue to put up performances of Friday night's caliber.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on August 29, 2005.