Now that all the dead skin from last weekend's sunburn has cascaded off my face like snow off a pine tree, I cannot wait to spend another Saturday at Valley Fields. Last week I watched the women soccer players. This week I'm stuck with the guys. In all seriousness, though, this provides a great excuse to get out of Hunger Clean-Up duty.
11 a.m.: Wisconsin kicks off against Marquette on the main field in the first of three exhibition games for the Golden Eagles. A total of eight teams will participate in today's festivities.
11:18: A Badger defender gives his goalkeeper a horrible back-pass that the keeper must head over his own net to prevent an own goal. "It's nice to know both teams do the same stupid things," Marquette head coach Steve Adlard quips.
11:25: Badger forward Reid Johnson scores from close range. It was due.
11:31: Badger midfielder Victor Diaz weaves past the Marquette defense for at least the sixth time this half and sets up a tap-in goal at the far post.
11:41: Wisconsin's goalkeeper hurts himself.
11:43: Defender Nathan Sabich floats a tepid shot at goal, but the Wisconsin keeper is still reeling from his injury and drops it into his own net. Dreadful.
11:47: Sabich trips No. 15 in the box, but the ref waves play on. The Badger bench is rightly furious.
12:09: p.m. Wisconsin hangs on for a 2-1 victory, and now I have time to rest.
1:48: Lewis kicks off against the Golden Eagles on the football field.
2:15: The Golden Eagles are settling for shots from distance out of frustration. Lewis is a solid Division II program from what I see.
2:37: Marquette forward Ryan Nikchevich is on the field with the number 2017 taped to the back of his jersey. I spend the next five minutes trying to think what the number symbolizes.
2:50: Marquette finally scores on, gasp, another goalkeeping mishap. Blake Wojski's shot went right under the hands of the Lewis keeper. Credit Marquette's No. 2017 with the assist.
2:55 Marquette wins, 1-0, and walks over to the main field for the final game of the day.
3:13 Illinois-Chicago kicks off.
3:21 UIC's Pavle Dundjer fakes past two Marquette defenders before his shot is re-directed past keeper Steven Grow.
3:24 Dundjer just misses the top corner with a wicked curling effort. Meanwhile, I just spotted women's basketball point guard Carolyn Kieger and three of her teammates in the stands.
3:31 Four little boys run into the press box booth to my right. One of them stares out at the field and utters, "Perfect sniper spot." Then the kids proceed to kill every player on the field. I blame violent video games for their actions.
3:36 Marquette forward Matt Blouin equalizes from the penalty spot to tie the game. This followed yet another goalkeeping brain fart — the UIC keeper grabbed Blouin's leg and pulled him down during a goalmouth scramble. The goalie saw red.
3:59 Two Canada geese land on the field near Grow…
4 p.m. Which was a bad omen, for UIC takes the lead once again. If I were a good journalist, I would have been paying attention to who scored the goal rather than staring at a couple of birds.
4:03 Not for the first time today, Marquette winger Blair Kohlmeyer delivers a great cross for Blouin. This time Blouin beats a UIC defender with his first touch and ties the game again.
4:19 Grow, who so far has avoided the catastrophes that have plagued his counterparts, kicks his clearance straight at a UIC player, who then chips over an empty net from 30 yards.
4:21 Marquette won one, lost one and tied one. At least no flares were thrown onto the field.
"The spring isn't about the winning and the losing," Marquette assistant coach Barry Bimbi said. "It is about giving players opportunities to play and learn in these environments. Today some players stepped up and some players faded and have a long way to go."
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 19 2005.