For the returning members of the Marquette club hockey team, a rematch with the team that ended the Golden Eagles’ postseason last year offers surprisingly high stakes for an early season game.
“There’s a lot on the line,” head coach Will Jurgensen said earlier this season. “Not only are we trying to avenge our loss at the end of last season, but at the same time, those are our first chances to get points toward the league.”
When Marquette travels to Bensenville, Illinois, for their two-game series with Robert Morris-White this weekend, last season’s 7-2 season-ending loss will no doubt be in the back of some of the players’ minds.
“It’s a type of game that we want to show them we are better than what they saw in our last meeting,” senior defender Joe Bertane said. “It’s also exciting because it sets the tone for our season, being our first league games.”
Marquette is looking for its first victory of the season after losing the first two games to a higher-division DePaul team. If the Golden Eagles drop both contests against the Colonials, the team would already be halfway to last year’s loss total of eight.
Both the Colonials and the Golden Eagles are in the Pacific Region of Division III, which means valuable in-conference points are on the line.
If the Golden Eagles can snag one or even two victories, momentum may start to shift back their way before they make their home debut against Aurora University on Oct. 2.
To earn a pair of victories, Marquette must find a way to get into a rhythm on offense. Last year the team relied on Tyler Schwichtenberg for goal production. This year however, no unanimous leader has emerged.
The current player most likely to fill the void is sophomore forward Brian Kennedy. He leads the team with two goals and could add to those numbers this weekend.
Until the offense clicks, a majority of the pressure will fall on the defense, which at times last season came under question for allowing many goals, most notably in the 7-2 loss to Robert Morris.
In his second year at the helm, Jurgensen has placed an emphasis on defense. This game will be a crucial test for the entire team. In order to win, both units need to show improvements from last week.
“We know our game can beat them, but it is up to us to execute and avoid mistakes,” Bertane said.
