Marquette men’s soccer closed out its regular season with a match that would ultimately determine if they get into the Big East Tournament for the first time since the spring of 2021.
They needed a win, however they did not get one as Creighton (9-5-3, 4-3-1 Big East) prevailed 5-2.
With the loss, the Golden Eagles (6-7-4, 2-5-2 Big East) have yet to reach the Big East Tournament for the fourth season in a row.
For Creighton, it has now won five of the last six contests, helping propel itself into the postseason.
Can’t stop the Bluejays
Senior midfielder Jackson Castro wasted no time getting the scoring started, as he got Creighton on the board in the 10th minute.
The Golden Eagles’ offense was faced with pressure from the team dressed in blue from the opening possession. The first 30 minutes of the game saw Marquette trying to find its way around the Creighton defense, until the final minutes of the first half when attempts were seen.
“We were a little too slow, we were playing in front of their press, getting ourselves trapped, not skipping the lines, not playing around,” head coach David Korn said.
Unable to find the back of the net, Marquette struggled to close the gaps the Bluejay’s had open which led to the pair of goals from Castro in the first half and three other goals in the second.
A small fire lit
The Golden Eagles could not find the opportunity to make anything land, until first-year midfielder Grant Locker put them on the board in the second half.
A small momentum shifted in Marquette as they were playing with a higher intensity and returned some of the pressure.
“Credit to our guys for adjusting well and showing the right spirit and fight,” Korn said.
After Creighton’s junior goalkeeper Blake Gillingham stepped out of the box, the Golden Eagles saw a brief opportunity to find the net, but three Bluejays’ came in and saved the counterattack.
“The second half, we kind of put chances on them, had them at their own backs at least for a little,” junior midfielder Gabe Anguil said.
Marquette tried to save themselves in the 81st minute of the game after a goal from Anguil, but was quieted by Creighton just seconds after, taking away the energy.
End of the road
Marquette needed to come out of this game with a win to automatically secure its spot in the postseason, but instead, will not see the Maryland SoccerPlex.
“Certainly pleased with the grit and togetherness of the group, I think they showed that a lot this season even when we were down a man,” Korn said. “Excited to see our returning group grow and use this year as a starting point.”
This recap was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @RaquelRuizMU.
