Fresh off its third goalless Big East loss to fall to 0-3 in conference play last Friday, Marquette men’s soccer entered Tuesday’s match against UIC with multiple questions.
After five goals and two saved penalties in the chaotic 90 minute 5-4 win over the once-undefeated Flames (7-1-3, 0-0-2 MVC), the Golden Eagles (5-3-2, 0-3-0 Big East) might have found some answers.
“I mean, the goals, the 5-4 game, there’s not many of those,” Marquette head coach David Korn said. “But also the stoppages, the VAR reviews, it was definitely a unique night from that perspective.”
Marquette, similar to UIC, was at one point undefeated (before going into conference play), but the three losses put its Big East tournament chances in jeopardy and showed the Golden Eagles’ floor in 2025.
If not for the efforts of goalie Cameron Simpson (who saved two penalties, one in each half); Mads Konrad Horgoien (who scored twice, including the game-winner); Nico Pendleton (who also scored twice); and Justin Milovanov (who put Marquette in the lead in the second-half), that floor could have fallen further down.
“I was really proud of not only the saves Cameron made, but also that we were first to the ball to clear it and reward him for that type of moment,” Korn said. “We made some changes tactically with two forwards to try and generate more chances and tonight that adjustment paid off for us.”
Milovanov — playing not in his normal spot in the midfield, but instead on the backline — still was able to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead in the 54th minute after pressing a UIC defender all the way up the pitch.
“I just think he’s a great footballer and I’m really proud of him,” said Korn.
It was four minutes later that Pendleton scored his second goal, and another 10 after that when his attacking partner Horgoien gave the Golden Eagles a 4-3 lead before he sealed the game-winner in the 74th off an assist from Mateo Stoka.
80′ | MU – 5 | UIC – 4
Mads Konrad Horgøien puts MU ahead with his second goal of the match and his fourth on the year. pic.twitter.com/bI6zGTBsD3
— Marquette Soccer (@marquettesoccer) October 8, 2025
“We were more clinical in some of those chances,” Korn said. “I hope every time we make that change that the two forwards deliver with two goals each.”
The next time they’ll have a chance to fulfill Korn’s wish is Saturday, when Marquette travels to Butler for a 1 p.m. CST matinee.
This article was written by Eamon Bevan. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @EamonBevanMU.
