The 2009 Marquette women’s soccer season is beginning to look a lot like its 2005 season — the Golden Eagles’ first in the Big East — in which they finished 19-4-1
That season, Marquette started off with an 8-0-1 record. This season, Marquette boasts a 7-2-0 record. In 2005, Marquette lost just one match at Valley Fields. This season, Marquette has yet to lose a match at Valley and has only allowed one goal there through five games. In 2005, Marquette recorded an early upset against a ranked team, No. 13 Illinois. This season, Marquette recorded an early upset against No. 23 Minnesota. And the list goes on.
The team has come out of nowhere to become the most successful Golden Eagles squad of the fall season.
The team has jumped on its own bandwagon.
“At this point in the season, it’s exciting seeing what could happen,” junior midfielder Julia Victor said. “We could win a title — that’s an option. We could go undefeated in the Big East — that’s an option. Everything is possible right now.”
Following a 2-0 victory against Western Michigan Sunday that gave the Golden Eagles a short break from Big East play, it appears Victor is on to something.
The Broncos hardly stood a chance against the Golden Eagles’ stout defense and attack-from-all-angles offense. At the final whistle, Marquette outshot Western Michigan 20-6 and held an 11-3 shots on goal advantage, with 22 different Marquette players seeing the field.
With solid offense across the board, forward Becky Ryan is one of the few players who has stood out. As a senior, Ryan has taken it upon herself to be the team’s offensive leader. She recorded the lone goal in the team’s win against Minnesota and again found the back of the net against Western Michigan. In the Golden Eagles’ balanced attack, Ryan leads the way with three goals, seven points, 25 shots and 12 shots on goal, all team highs.
“My last two years haven’t exactly been the type of years that I’ve wanted,” Ryan said. “So I kind of want to make (this season) special.”
That’s fine with coach Markus Roeders, who, while pleased with his team’s performance so far, has previously expressed the need for more offense, saying the team won’t always get away with 1-0 victories.
“I don’t think (coach) has put any pressure on me,” Ryan said. “But I think he does picture me as a goal-scorer and a more dangerous attacking player.”
And with tonight’s match against West Virginia, Ryan’s apparent emergence couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Traditionally, West Virginia is one of the best teams in the conference and country,” Roeders said. “We really need to elevate our game. We’ve played West Virginia well (in previous seasons) but just haven’t gotten the results we wanted.”
History may have been on the Golden Eagles’ side so far, but a win against the Mountaineers is one thing the 2005 season lacked.
“We’ve never beaten West Virginia,” Victor said. “And we know that that’s a game we have to win if we want to have a shot at the Big East regular season title.”