Sept. 13, 2006

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MILWAUKEE - Junior Andre Francois scored in the 80th minute, propelling the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team to a comeback 3-2 victory over Marquette University on Wednesday night. The Panthers (3-4-0) scored three-consecutive second half goals to knock off the Golden Eagles (1-5-1) in front of a record crowd of 3,256 in the first-ever night game at Engelmann Field.

"The team really showed a lot of character tonight," UWM head coach Jon Coleman said. "They showed a lot of determination in coming back and really showed a lot of heart. I think it is significant in what this program is about. It was a real gutsy performance by our guys."

Francois scored on a diving header at the 79:28 mark, sneaking the ball into the goal at the near post off a corner kick from senior Craig Mallace. The victory allowed the Panthers to keep possession of the Milwaukee Cup for the third-straight season.

"I haven't been able to put away a few chances earlier in the season but I knew it was coming the whole time," Francois said. "I was actually talking to (Adam) Skalecki about scoring the game winner before I went in."

The goal capped a second half comeback, as UWM trailed 2-0 just 2:51 into the second when Marquette's Mike Carlson scored in the 48th minute.

The contest also marked the return of former UWM head coach Louis Bennett to Engelmann. Bennett took over the Marquette program this past winter after 10 successful seasons at Milwaukee.

"It's always good to see Louis (Bennett) and I think tonight we did a lot to put on a good spectacle for college soccer, especially considering the situation," Coleman said.

It was Mallace who started the rally, sending home a centering pass from senior Dale Weiler at the 53:30 mark to make it 2-1. Milwaukee struck again quickly, getting the equalizer off the foot of junior Steve Bode just 2:23 later. Bode scored his first goal of the season when he rifled a 15-yard shot past the Marquette keeper off a perfectly placed 35-yard free kick to the top of the box from Weiler.

The Golden Eagles failed to take advantage of their only late opportunity, when Dan Addis collected a loose ball at the top of the box and sent an open shot up-and-over the crossbar with less than five minutes to play.

Senior Eric Mickschl came away with the victory in his first start of the season, recording one save. Marquette's Matt Pyzdrowski played the first half before Marc Dettman came on in relief in the second. The two combined for nine saves, with a Golden Eagle defender clearing another shot off the line for a team save in the 76th minute.

The Panthers dominated the start and had numerous chances in the first half, which was spent mostly on UWM's half of the field. In the 15th minute Weiler just missed a goal, collecting a loose ball and sending a shot off the crossbar. In the fourth minute, Mallace nearly put Milwaukee up 1-0 early, sending a blast off the post.

The standing-room only record crowd of 3,256 broke the Engelmann Field attendance record by over 1,000. The previous mark, set in 1990, had been 2,250 fans.

"I kept looking around and was thinking, man, where did all these people come from? I was a bit overwhelmed and shocked and then all of a sudden we were 2-0 down and I was thinking everyone was going to want their money back." Coleman said jokingly.

In the end, UWM carried a 25 to seven advantage in shots, including 13 to three in shots on goal. They forced a season-high 13 corner kicks to just four for Marquette, and were whistled for 12 of the 26 fouls. Mallace (1G/1A) and Weiler (2A) led the way offensively.

The Panthers will look to carry over the momentum of the victory to the weekend, as they open Horizon League action at Detroit on Friday. The Titans, who were picked by the league coaches to win the Horizon this season, and the Panthers will kick-off at 4 p.m. CST.