Following its two-game road trip to open up the season, the Marquette women’s soccer team returned home in search of its first win over crosstown rival the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 2018.
However, the Golden Eagles will have to wait at least another year to meet that feat as the Panthers defeated Marquette 1-0 Thursday night at Valley Fields.
“We’ve gotten better and we’re improving,” head coach Frank Pelaez said. “We had a little more opportunities in the first half that we didn’t finish, we’re little bit hesitant at times and I think it’s we’re going in the right direction. … I like how they competed (but) we just got to be a little bit more confident when it comes to shooting and finishing.”
Marquette came out of the gate with aggressive, physical and attacking game plan recording three shots on goal in the first 18 minutes of the match.
In the 17th minute, senior forward Alex Campana worked up the right sidelines on the breakaway giving the Golden Eagles their best shot during that span to strike. However, Campana’s shot from just outside the 18-yard box sailed over the crossbar keeping the game scoreless.
Despite not finishing on these three opportunities, Pelaez said he liked the “aggressiveness” out of his team.
“That creativity that, that get into the box, let’s play with our foot forward, going downhill and that’s what I told them at halftime that we need to do that,” Pelaez said. “But I felt that since they didn’t get the goals, they kind of felt like ‘oh, no, we got to be a little more methodical about it’ and we can’t be methodical. We have to have a short memory when it comes to missing (shots) and mistakes.”
Milwaukee broke the game open in the 20th minute when sophomore Kat Van Booven sent a cross pass into the box from the left side that was finished by senior forward Haley Johnson. It was Johnson’s first goal of the season.
The Golden Eagles had back-to-back opportunities to tie the game before halftime from senior midfielders Katrina Wetherell and Elizabeth Bueckers but Wetherell’s shot sailed above the crossbar while Bueckers was saved by Panthers goalkeeper Parker Donahugh.
It is the second time in their last three games, the Golden Eagles found themselves in a deficit after the opening 45 minutes.
Marquette’s second half would not be much different.
Two minutes into the half, the Panthers had an opportunity to extend their lead, but Marquette senior goalkeeper Mikki Easter came up with the early save.
In the 60th minute, Bueckers fired one from the top of the box but Donahugh was there with the save.
Marquette did not stop their fight there.
In the 70th minute, the Golden Eagles were awarded a free kick after Panthers redshirt junior forward Natalie Auble was called for a foul.
Sophomore forward Maggie Starker fired a shot from 30-yards out but Donahugh was there for the save.
Bueckers, who transferred from IUPUI this offseason, recorded a Marquette career-high four shots in 76 minutes off the bench.
“I like her experience, I like the chip on her should that she has,” Pelaez said on what he has liked from Bueckers so far this season. “She came here because she wants to be playing in the Big East and she wants to play against great players. I think she has something to prove to herself and to her to her fans. She’s mature, smart, aggressive, has a go forward mentality, which is great, and she tackles people like no other.
With the win, Milwaukee takes the lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1993, at 11-10-8.
Marquette (1-2) will now have a full week to prepare for its next game Sept. 1 vs the University of Illinois Chicago at Valley Fields at 7 pm CST.
“We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing and we work on finishing everyday,” Pelaez said. “It’s the basics of getting wide, get it in and I want numbers in the box. And then I want a second wave of numbers in the box, so we have plenty of exercises that we do for that. We’re just going to try to do more of it.”
This article was written by John Leuzzi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JohnLeuzziMU.
