Despite what the 0-0 final score might suggest, the Marquette women’s soccer team dominated play against Providence Sunday afternoon at Valley Fields.
The draw, coming on the heels of an impressive 3-2 double overtime victory over No. 24/13 Connecticut Friday, was result of the Golden Eagles’ inability to capitalize on their superiority over the Friars.
“You’ve got to give it to Providence,” junior midfielder Rosie Malone-Povolny said. “They’re a tough team—very physical, played good defense.”
The first half was all Marquette (9-4-2, 3-2-2 Big East). The home team outshot the Friars 11-3 with four of those shots being on goal. But all four shots on goal were easily saved by Providence goalkeeper Jill Schott.
Golden Eagles keeper Natalie Kulla, on the other hand, had a relatively quite half. The closest Providence (7-5-3, 2-3-2 Big East) came to scoring in the first frame was when junior defender Lauren Thut slipped and fell on the pitch, allowing a Friar forward to get a clean shot off. Fortunately for Marquette, the shot sailed high.
“We exposed ourselves a few times defensively,” coach Markus Roeders said. “You wish some of the chances that we would have gotten would have been a little bit better.”
The second half was more of the same as the Friars appeared to be playing for the tie by stacking their own box with defenders. As time wound down in regulation then again in both overtime periods, Providence found the result it was looking for – a 0-0 draw. When play finished Marquette had out shot the Friars 24-5 and held a 10-0 shots on goal advantage.
“(The Friars) are happy as heck,” Roeders said. “They had a great weekend with a win down in South Florida and a tie today.”
After a victory over a Connecticut team that was leading the Big East’s American division, the Golden Eagles were obviously expecting more out of themselves today. But with a four-game road trip to end the regular season, perhaps junior midfielder Julia Victor said it best.
“It was important for us not to lose,” she said, “but we should have won.”
