The UW-Milwaukee men’s soccer team matchup with the Marquette Golden Eagles ended in a 1-1 draw in a cross-town rivalry match on Tuesday night at Valley Fields.
After the draw, Milwaukee is 5-2-4 overall. The team has seven points in their last three matches.
A team earns three points for a win and one point for a draw.
Despite Milwaukee being 31-12-6 all-time in the annual matchup, the trophy will remain at Marquette due to the draw. Milwaukee last beat Marquette in 2019, missing out on two opportunities in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
There was a buzz throughout the stadium on the crisp fall night as the rivals kicked off. Tensions were high to begin but eased as both teams played the possession game.
“It’s a big game. It’s an emotional game,” said head coach Kris Kelderman. “The fans love it. Everybody loves it. And when you’re playing them away, it makes it that much harder.”
After about five minutes, Marquette was able to break the zone but were denied a chance after a block by freshman defender Jack Wagner.
Wagner had another nice defensive play ten minutes into the match, making a slide tackle within his own penalty area to strip Marquette of a chance. This would go on to be the theme of the game.
The first look of the first half came in the twelfth minute, with Marquette forwards connecting on a through pass inside Milwaukee’s eighteen-yard box. They would ring the shot off the outside of the woodwork, however.
After a couple good looks from both teams coming off the flank, Milwaukee finally capitalized 35 minutes in. After a burst of speed down the wing, Alejandro Martinez shot the ball on goal, creating a loose ball opportunity in front. The ball found its way to forward Mesfin Roda, who would bury it for the goal.
The goal was initially called back for offsides but after a lengthy review, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) determined it was a good goal.
A few minutes later, Marquette looked to answer. They got their chance on a failed clear attempt inside of Milwaukee’s penalty area, and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Daniel Ibarra towards an empty net. Freshman Ryan Berghauer, in a superb defensive effort, was able to pull the ball off of the goal line and clear it to preserve the lead.
Thanks to this play, the Panthers were able to take the lead into the second half.
The second half did not provide many scoring chances until late but tensions began to rise quickly. There were several warnings handed out, with Milwaukee forward Asher Ozuzu even being booked with a yellow card after making a slide tackle.
The two teams would go on to combine for eighteen fouls throughout the course of the match.
With the intensity picking up, Marquette threw everything but the kitchen sink to even things up. The Milwaukee defensive line was able to weather the storm until late in the first half.
In the 82nd minute, Marquette would finally answer. After yet another cross was blocked, the ball would ultimately bounce right to the foot of Marquette midfielder Grant Locker, who would rifle the ball past a charging goalkeeper.
While the game may have ended in the draw, it was a defensive showcase for the Panthers.
“Our defenders, our back line, continue to do a great job,” said Kelderman. “They keep us in games every day. I’m a bit impressed with the maturity that the young guys in the back line are showing. It’s exciting to see.”
In their last five games, Milwaukee has not conceded more than a single goal in each game. The freshman-led defense have played a pivotal role in the team’s success this year, with the team currently sitting above .500.
The Panthers will head to Michigan this weekend for their next matchup, a date with the Detroit Mercy Titans. Milwaukee will be looking for a vital three points to make a late-season push against a struggling conference opponent that has just one win this year.
The game will take place in Detroit at 1 p.m. central time on Saturday.