It is one of the top rivalries in college soccer. The series dates back to the 70s, but may be more intense than ever in recent years. Wednesday night, Marquette and Wisconsin-Milwaukee fight for the Milwaukee Cup for the 42nd time.
For Marquette head coach Louis Bennett, the Milwaukee Cup is more than just another rivalry, it is a reminder of the past. Bennett coached at UWM from 1996 until 2005, when he was hired by Marquette.
In his 10 years with the Panthers, Bennett was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year five times and led UWM to five straight NCAA tournament berths. He holds the record as the winningest coach in UWM history.
“Personally, I’m pretty much removed from the UWM days,” Bennett said. “It’s a piece of my history that I hold dear to me, but I’m very much a Golden Eagle.”
“I think this game has become very important for the community,” Bennett continued. “You don’t want to over-inflate a game, but you have to give a game respect … Right now it’s more important that it’s our next game.”
The Milwaukee Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Marquette vs. UWM match. The Panthers currently hold a 28-10 lead in the all-time series. Since Bennett moved to the Marquette side, the Golden Eagles have gone 2-4-1 in the rivalry. Marquette’s last victory against UWM came in 2012, with a buzzer-beater by then-sophomore Sebastian Jansson.
After losing its first two matches of the season, Marquette has shut the door. In their last three matches, the Golden Eagles have given up zero goals en route to victories over Gonzaga, Oregon State and most recently, Drake.
The team has moved up to 13th in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings, but are still attempting to claw its way into the coaches’ top 25.
The Panthers are led in scoring by freshmen Reid Stevenson, Petter Ingebrigtsen and Nick Moon, who have scored all six of UWM’s goals so far. They have faced hefty competition as of late, as the Panthers are coming off two losses at the Capital Cup to No. 22 George Mason and No. 19 American. This weekend offers them another shot at a top-ranked program.
UWM is not a team to be overlooked by Marquette. Despite the Golden Eagles’ stellar finish to their 2013 season, this year’s campaign started off rather bumpy. Last year, Marquette dropped its season opener at UWM 2-1, in a match in which the Panthers created far more scoring chances than Marquette.
“We don’t try to think about the loss from last year,” redshirt junior Axel Sjoberg said. “The games against UWM are always really tough.”
Sjoberg was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week yesterday. Redshirt junior David Selvaggi, who scored both goals in the Drake match, was named to the Big East Honor Roll.
The Milwaukee Cup kicks off tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. under the lights at Valley Fields.
