Senior attacker Meg Bireley scored her fourth goal of the day, which ended up being the decider, to give Marquette a 16-13 lead with 5:38 to go. Marquette (9-5, 3-2 Big East) took care of UConn (9-5, 2-2 Big East) 16-15 in the final game of Bireley’s and six other seniors’ careers at Valley Fields.
Marquette holds on
The Golden Eagles came out of the gates firing. They dominated the first period in every aspect of the game, outscoring the Huskies 6-1, outshooting them 13-3, grabbing eight ground balls and forcing six turnovers.
“We needed that week off to prepare,” MU head coach Meredith Black said. “We knew we were ready to set the tone.”
After a back-and-forth last 10 minutes of the second quarter, Marquette took an 11-7 lead into halftime.
The defense dominated in the third period. UConn inched closer to the Golden Eagles, winning the quarter 3-2.
In the final period, UConn cut the deficit to one twice. Both times, senior midfielder Hanna Bodner had the answer. She scored a pair of goals with 12 and 10 minutes remaining to give Marquette a two-goal edge. Bireley made it 16-13 with 5:38 to go. Again, the Huskies cut it to one with 2:17 remaining.
After the UConn goal, sophomore midfielder Lauren Grady won a draw with 1:47 remaining. Then, another sophomore midfielder, Sara Beth Burns, who had a career-high four goals Saturday, fired at the end of the shot clock. UConn goalkeeper Sofia Oximana made a terrific save, but Grady grabbed the loose ball rebound. Marquette was able to withstand the Huskie pressure and run out the clock.
“UConn has come back from being down five or six goals all season, so we knew an 8-2 lead was nothing,” Black said. “We kept saying it was 0-0 to keep our team at a place where if they start coming back, which they did, we didn’t get worried. We just kept playing the way we were playing.”
Senior’s lasting impact
Bireley scored another four goals against UConn. In her storied career at Marquette, she eclipsed the 250-point mark with over 200 goals and 50 assists. She has the all-time points and goals scored record at Marquette.
Bodner was the star of the day. She scored five goals on seven shots, grabbed three draw controls and forced two turnovers. Bodner made a massive jump in her senior season, scoring 42 goals.
“Senior day this morning was awesome,” Bodner said. “We went into this game knowing we had to win it and celebrate it. We are all just so excited and happy.”
Other seniors also played a huge role in the win. Senior midfielder Lorelai VanGuilder won eight draw controls. Senior defender Lily Dietrich grabbed a ground ball and caused a turnover. Senior goalie Bryanna Nixon made four saves. Senior attacker Campbell Brown and defender Molly Powers contributed to Marquette’s success.
“I talked to this group of seniors last summer, and I told them it was their time,” Black said. “They took that and have been amazing. Their leadership has been amazing, and what they are putting on the field has been amazing as well.”
Up Next
The win over UConn moves Marquette into fourth place in the Big East standings and helps it inch closer to earning a bid to the Big East Tournament.
Next, Marquette (9-5, 3-2 Big East) travels to the nation’s capital to face the Georgetown Hoyas (8-6, 3-1 Big East) at 11 a.m. CST to pursue a top-four spot in the Big East.
This story was written by Max Mullin. He can be reached at maxwell.mullin@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MullinMax.