Sept. 23, 2013

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Marquette University scored four goals in the second half to run away from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team in a 5-0 loss for the Panthers Monday night in front of 1,017 people at Engelmann Stadium.

Milwaukee falls to 2-7-1 on the season to close out its tough non-conference portion of the schedule. Ironically, this is the same record UWM had a season ago before the team rattled off six wins in seven games to win its 13th-consecutive league title.

The Golden Eagles, who fell just out of the nation's top-25 poll this week, improve to 7-3-0 on the season.

"Obviously, this is a really disappointing performance by our team," Milwaukee head coach Greg Henschel said. "Our passing was not sharp tonight and we're just struggling to do some things consistently. It was interesting; the first five to 10 minutes into the second half again shows what we can do, but until we show that and repeat it over and over and over again, we're going to end up with these roller-coaster results. If we decide to repeat what we did the first five to 10 minutes of that second half and put 90 minutes together, we're a good team. But we were not tonight and we were deserving of the result we got."

It looked like Milwaukee would get on the board right out of the gates. Kelly Lewers took a great pass in the third minute and got behind everyone, but the junior had to rush her shot and it went just wide of the MU goal.

Marquette scored its first of the game in the 25th minute. Taylor Madigan sent a high, arcing pass into the box where Vanessa Legault-Cordisco just got her head on the ball before keeper Paige Lincicum could reign it in and MU took a 1-0 lead into the half.

The Panthers came out of the break fired up and it looked like they found the equalizer just minutes in. Morgan LaPlant took a pass streaking down the left flank but saw her shot go just over the crossbar less than one minute into the second half.

Minutes later, UWM had some great movement with the ball in the attacking third and the ball came to Vienna Behnke in the box but her shot went just wide of the net.

"I think the second half, for that brief period of time, we did what we've been working on in training and did what we've been asking them to do for six weeks now," Henschel said. "We did that against Vanderbilt for 45 minutes in the second half. Tonight we did it for 10. At the end of the day, it's just things we've been working on in training and what we lack is consistence in doing it."

The Golden Eagles found their second goal of the night when Mary Luba took a centering pass from Maegan Kelly just inside the penalty box and fired it far post.

In the 62nd minute, Madigan corralled a Panther turnover and quickly countered with a long pass up the field. Kelly sprinted on to the ball and took one touch far post to make it 3-0.

Again it looked like Milwaukee would finally find the back of the net just moments later and answer back. Maria Stephans and Kelsey Holbert played a nice give-and-go up the field when Holbert took a shot inside the box that looked like it would beat the keeper but it was pushed away by the MU defense.

Marquette also received goals by Mady Vicker in the 81st minute and Liz Bartels in the 90th.

The Panthers kick off Horizon League play this Saturday when Valparaiso comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest at Engelmann Stadium.