The winning streak to start the season is over following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin.
For the first time all season, Marquette men’s soccer didn’t score a run of play goal.
For the first time all season, MU freshman keeper Marten Brink let in a run of play goal.
For the first time all season, YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles have ended up with the short end of the stick. Wisconsin scored twice after MU converted a penalty kick in the second half, and that’s a 2-1 final score in Madison on Monday night. It’s the first loss of the season, dropping Marquette to 3-1-0 on the year, and it is also David Korn’s first loss as MU’s head coach.
Offense was a little on the sparse side for both teams in the first half as they split eight shots straight down the middle between them. Wisconsin was the only team to put a shot on goal, and since Brink made the save, it was scoreless at intermission. That lasted until the 66th minute when Mitar Mitrovic sent home a penalty kick for a 1-0 lead.
And then, if we’re being honest about it, the bounces started going against Marquette.
Sometimes soccer isn’t a game of perfect precision. Sometimes it’s about taking advantage of a weird bounce or ricochet. That’s kind of what happened twice to the Golden Eagles in the final 20 minutes in Madison.
Here’s goal #1 from Matthew Zachemski:
70′ | WE’RE BACK LEVEL. Matthew Zachemski with the huge equalizer! Dean Boltz extends his point streak to four games on the saved shot that led to the goal.
MRQ 1, WIS 1 pic.twitter.com/xCXdrQKeqW
— Wisconsin Men’s Soccer (@BadgerMSoccer) September 3, 2024
Brink made the save, but not the collection, and so the rebound went sailing past him. That’s a thing that happens regularly.
What Dean Boltz did in the 86th minute, though? That’s not a regular occurrence. This is an odd looking goal, and shots to Boltz for being on top of things the whole time.
86′ | THERE IT IS. A two goal rally to take the lead in the dying embers. Dean Boltz continues to impress with another three point performance and credit Glorioso with the glorious header forward. pic.twitter.com/aek7ATDv1P
— Wisconsin Men’s Soccer (@BadgerMSoccer) September 3, 2024
There was more offense in the second half than in the first with the two teams combining for 13 shots. Marquette let it get away from them, just enough, just a little, and sometimes the physics of it all means letting it get just a little bit away from you means you lose.
Up Next: Marquette has a Thursday home game this week before hitting the road next Monday to visit a Big Ten team. First up is Purdue Fort Wayne at Valley Fields on Thursday, with first kick set for 7pm Central. The Mastodons are 1-2-0 this year after falling 1-0 at Bradley on Saturday evening.