April 5, 2006

DECATUR, Ala. -- The Marquette women's soccer team played two matches, against Ole Miss and Samford, in Decatur, Ala. on April 1.

In the first action of the day, MU faced Ole Miss, which played in the field of 64 in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, and dropped a 2-0 decision to the Rebels in a two-half, 80-minute contest.

The Golden Eagles played strong in the first half, as they created several scoring chances but were unable to capitalize. Ole Miss found the back of the net in the 23rd minute, after serving in a free kick inside the box and past Marquette goalkeeper Laura Boyer.

Both teams continued their even play in the second frame, before the Rebels tallied their second goal in the 64th minute. MU's offense attacked the goal to close the match, but were unable to score. In total, Marquette outshot Ole Miss, 11-6, while the Rebels held a 7-4 edge in saves.

"Our team continued to make great strides this weekend." said head coach Markus Roeders. "Ole Miss and Samford both had outstanding seasons this past fall, and both games turned out to be very good competition."

"We started the day with some excellent play versus Ole Miss but ended up falling short with our chances." Roeders added. "We conceded a goal off a set play and showed miscommunication on their second goal; overall, a very good performance. Throughout the game, our ball possession and attacking mind-set was excellent and we should've finished those for several goals."

In the second game, the Golden Eagles were victorious, earning a 2-0 win over Samford - which advanced to the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament this past Fall.

Marquette set the tone of the game from the start, as Christy Zwolski and Michelle Compty each had breakaway opportunities in the first half but got denied. Finally, the pressure paid off as Lauren Weber received a pass inside the penalty area, turned on the defender and was taken down. Weber did manage to convert the ensuing penalty kick before halftime in the 39th minute.

In the second half, Ashley George served a cross into the penalty area and Weber finished the play with a goal on a header in the 53rd minute. It was her second goal of the match.

"It was good to see our team perform under high physical demands." Roeders stated. "Playing two 80 minute games, with little rest and adjusting to the warm weather conditions, we brought a lot of energy and were rewarded for our stellar play."

"We are continuing to experiment with different lineups and formations, and our team is embracing the opportunity to play. It was a joy to watch them have a good time on the field." he added. "Samford proved to be a disciplined defensive squad that knows how to play to their strength and take advantage of turnovers. Our team had to adjust in order to create opportunities. It was nice to see Lauren Weber score a couple of goals and our other strikers were only inches from contributing a goal themselves. If we continue to improve at this rate, it will be a great springboard into next season."

MU held a 6-3 edge in shots, while making three saves in goal. Samford was able to stop four Golden Eagles attempts.

Next up for the women's soccer team in its Spring season is a matchup against Missouri on Saturday, April 8th, at 1 p.m. in St. Louis.