Ever since joining the BIG EAST in 2005, Marquette women’s soccer has boated plenty of success against St. John’s, entering Thursday night with a 14-1-1 record against the Red Storm.
The Golden Eagles got win No. 15 and their first BIG EAST win of the season in a 3-2 double-overtime come-from-behind win Thursday night against St. John’s.
“Very happy with the result. (We are) fortunate to walk away with a win tonight. We have had some great battles with St. John’s over the years, and we will chalk this one up with those,” head coach Markus Roeders said to Drew Casey of BIG EAST Digital Network.
The Red Storm started the match with a purpose, scoring in the sixth minute from 23 yards out on a goal from redshirt junior forward Zsani Kajan.
Kajan got another shot past Marquette goalkeeper Maddy Henry with nine minutes left in the first half on a give-and-go in the middle of the pitch with teammate Jessica Garziano.
Marquette had some opportunities throughout the first half but could not take advantage. Like in their last two games vs Providence and Creighton, the Golden Eagles had a much stronger second half.
Freshman forward Alex Campana pulled Marquette within one in the 61st minute on her second goal of the season. The goal came from just a few steps from the six-yard box.
Nineteen minutes later, Katrina Wetherell put a free-kick into the box from about 35 yards out. Then junior forward Kylie Sprecher worked her way through a cluster of players to get her foot on a deflection and score Marquette’s second goal of the night. It was Sprecher’s first goal since her game-winning goal against Michigan on Sept. 2.
Marquette went into its seventh overtime game of the season and third straight overtime game but only had a 1-4-1 record in overtime coming into Thursday.
“We have had some losses in overtime where we have been close so to walk away tonight like we are, is a great feeling,” Roeders said to Carey.
Neither team could get a shot in the first overtime period, forcing a second overtime period.
In the 101st minute, senior defender Emily Hess served the ball into the box where sophomore forward Macey Shock buried the game-winning goal.
It’s the Dublin, Ohio, native’s third goal in a matter of two weeks. She is the team’s leading goal-scorer.
It was the team’s first BIG EAST win of the season. MU now has four points in the BIG EAST standings with five matches remaining and is tied for seventh in the conference. The top six teams will make the postseason tournament.
Thursday also marked the fourth-straight game head coach Markus Roeders went with the same starting lineup.
Marquette outnumbered St. John’s in virtually every stat, including outshooting the Red Storm 11-6.
Henry finished with one save and allowed two goals on the night.
Marquette (3-9-1, 0-3-1 BIG EAST) will remain out east to take on the Seton Hall Pirates Sunday at 12 p.m. Central Time.
