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April 27, 2008

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University men's soccer team defeated Milwaukee by a final tally of 1-0 and played to a scoreless draw against Wisconsin in the championship game of he Wisconsin Division I Cup held Sunday at Valley Fields.

"A win and a tie against in-state rivals, it's good -- it would have been something we would take," said Marquette head coach Louis Bennett. "We've established what we can do, and it's positive. We definitely have some things we need to be better at, and we have to take advantage of opportunity."

Each contest consisted of two 35-minute halves without an overtime. MU eventually fell to the Badgers on penalty kicks, while Green Bay captured third place with 2-0 win over Milwaukee. Wisconsin advanced to the championship after defeating Green Bay on PKs earlier in the day.

After missing their first penalty kick, the Golden Eagles netted back-to-back PK tries by Nick Kay and Brian Odem, respectively, but Wisconsin converted on its fourth straight attempt to earn the decision.

"It was a fair performance," Bennett said following Wisconsin match. "I was hoping for maybe a little bit more productivity from our midfield. I thought we didn't really adjust as well to the wind as we could have. Overall, it wasn't a sparkling, dazzling performance, but it was a solid performance."

Josh Curry netted a second-half goal on an assist by newcomer Michael Alfano to help lift Marquette to a 1-0 victory in game one.

The team's success Sunday followed a pair of Marquette victories last weekend, in which the Golden Eagles shutout their opponents, Lincoln College (Ill.) and Cardinal Stritch, by a combined score of 11-0. Sunday also marked the program's last contest until a Blue vs. Golf scrimmage to be played at Valley Fields on Aug. 16.

"Because now we split for three months, it's probably the most important time," said Bennet. "They have to return as fit as they left. They've all got individual, technical things that they can work on that are all very specific. And basically, a little bit of rest, relaxation and recuperation, but then they have to work."

In the meantime, Golden Eagles fans are encouraged to check out the Marquette University Soccer School offerings online at GoMarquette.com/SoccerSchool where you can find information on how to register for camps and activities for all age groups throughout the summer.