After losing by a combined eight points in the last two games, the Golden Eagles flipped the script on Oct. 8, beating University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 6-1.
“I’m really happy obviously,” head coach Louis Bennett said. “It’s hard to be sad about coming back from a series of games where we thought it was just a freak of nature and then we didn’t show up. We realized we had a lot of work to do.”
Redshirt junior Griffin Jende started the scoring with a goal in the 6th minute. It was his first career goal.
“It feels really good,” Jende said. “I think it’s a testament to how hard we all work.”
Jende also scored his second career goal in the 19th minute.
“Persevering and believing in something that is bigger than yourself and not necessarily taking the spotlight all the time but still giving it everything. That’s the joy of coaching at college,” Bennett said. “I’m so happy for him.”
Jende started a barrage of three goals in a 13-minute span for Marquette. After Jende’s first, redshirt sophomore Manuel Cukaj followed with goal off a rebound from a Luka Prpa shot. Jende’s second goal allowed MU to jump to a 3-0 lead.
“Everything we went through this week was emphasizing that we can’t let up in a game,” Jende said. “We want to win and we want to keep playing our best soccer regardless of what the score is or who we are playing.”
Four of the Golden Eagles’ 12 shots in the first half were on goal. Meanwhile, Marquette only allowed two shots in the first half, neither of which were on goal.
Marquette’s onslaught of goals didn’t stop at halftime. Seven minutes into the second half, Prpa earned his first assist of the year on a set piece. After Prpa’s pass, Cukaj headed in his second goal of the night.
Next, senior defender Patrick Seagrist scored his first goal of the season off a header from a corner kick two minutes later in the 54th minute. Freshman forward Christian Marquez finished off with a goal in the 90th minute.
Green Bay’s lone goal came from defender Andre Baires on a penalty in the 75th minute.
Next the Golden Eagles travel to Rhode Island to take on the Providence Friars Saturday at 6 p.m.
