Although it wasn’t playing for a spot in the postseason, Marquette women’s soccer was searching for a win for a different reason — to finish the year on a high note.
And the Golden Eagles did exactly that, defeating the Seton Hall Pirates (4-12-3, 1-7-2 Big East) 3-0 Thursday night in their season finale at Owen T. Carroll Field in South Orange, New Jersey.
Marquette finishes the season with an overall record of 6-11-3 — one win better than last season — and a 3-6-1 Big East record.
Murphy puts finishing touch on MU win
The Golden Eagles had not scored more than two goals in a game since Sept. 19, when they won 5-0 over St. Thomas. Until tonight.
In the 70th minute, senior defender Alexa Maletis served the ball into the box on a corner kick and senior midfielder Carina Murphy headed it in to mark the Golden Eagles’ third goal of the match.
70′ | MU – 3 | SHU – 0
ANOTHER GOAL!!! Seniors Alexa Maletis and Carina Murphy combine on the corner kick. #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/EfJmR8o9PY
— MARQUETTE Soccer (@MarquetteWSOC) October 31, 2024
Seton Hall was unable to crawl back from the three-goal deficit as Marquette earned its fourth shutout and sixth win of the year. In the victory, the Golden Eagles outshot the Pirates 18-16, putting eight of those shots on goal.
Golden Eagles net two early goals
In the season finale, Marquette’s offense was looking to go out with a bang.
In the 9th minute, sophomore midfielder Kiley McMinn took a shot from distance that hit the crossbar and fell to sophomore forward Haley Christianson’s foot as she fired it into the back of the net to give her team an early lead. It also marked her first-career goal.
15′ | MU – 1 | SHU – 0
GOAL!!!! Sophomore Haley Christianson nets her first-career goal to give MU the early lead. Krone follows minutes later with a big save. #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/vM3piFdF9u
— MARQUETTE Soccer (@MarquetteWSOC) October 31, 2024
But the Golden Eagles weren’t done.
In the 40th minute, midfielder Julia O’Neill found herself on the right side and fired off a shot, but a Seton Hall defender was there to stop it. However, it was senior forward Aislinn Boyle who got to the rebound first and slotted it into the net, extending Marquette’s lead and marking her first goal since 2022.
Despite being outshot by the Pirates 10-8 in the frame, the Golden Eagles went into the locker room with a two-goal lead.
Although Marquette finished the regular season with a win, it will miss the Big East Tournament for the seventh year in a row.
This article was written by Kaylynn Wright. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @KaylynnWrightMU.
