Jack Wagner scored what Milwaukee supporters hoped was the goal to return the Milwaukee Cup to the Upper East Side in the 79th minute, but two late Marquette goals made sure the trophy stayed with the Golden Eagles.
Milwaukee lost to intracity rival Marquette 3-2 on Tuesday at Engelmann Stadium in the “Milwaukee Cup.”
“We fought really hard, but giving up the goals in the last 10 minutes is rough,” said defender Mitch Goodman. “It’s always hard playing Marquette.”
Milwaukee dropped to 2-3-4 (W-L-D) on the season while Marquette improved to 4-1-2.
Streak Broken
Before the result, Milwaukee hadn’t lost a home game since November of 2023 in a game against Green Bay.
Milwaukee came into the game with three straight clean sheets before Marquette tallied three.
“We’ve been pleased with our performances the prior three games,” said head coach Kris Kelderman. “I told the guys, ‘Hey, we didn’t get the result we wanted, but it was still pretty good soccer.”
The three goals allowed are the most the Panthers have given up in a game this season.
“The three goals they scored on us were all in the box, that’s something that’s really unacceptable,” said Kelderman. “It’s just reaction, it’s fight and it wasn’t there on those three plays.”
First Half vs. Second Half
The first half proved inconsequential despite each team having some opportunities.
Milwaukee had the shots advantage through the first 45:00, with seven compared to Marquette’s five.
The second half is when the fireworks went off.
5 Goals in 45 Minutes
Marquette struck first in the 50th minute, with a cross from former Panther Gabe Anguil reaching Grant Locker, who finished in the bottom left corner.
The Panthers equalized after defender Ryan Berghauer pounced on a Fernando Pirry cross.
Berghauer’s night was cut short when he got injured in the 67th minute.
Milwaukee took another blow not long after when midfielder Daiki Kumakawa also subbed out injured.
“Those are two key factors in our group, and it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t finish the game with those two,” said Kelderman. “I’m curious, things look a little different with them in.”
Despite the injuries, the Panthers took the lead on a wild play that saw Jack Wagner score from a bicycle kick in front of the goal.
An Angel Gongora header played through Pavle Ivkovic for a one-on-one chance against Marquette’s 6-foot-7-inch keeper Marten Brink. Ivkovic’s chip attempt hit the crossbar, falling back into play within reach of Wagner.
The Panthers had the 2-1 lead and were on the brink of reclaiming the Milwaukee Cup with 10 minutes remaining.
Last 10 Minutes
The Golden Eagles responded almost immediately. Two minutes after Wagner’s goal, Mads Konrad Horgoien knotted the game at two.
Marquette made the final blow in the 83rd minute, after Tristan Ronnestad-Stevens had the ball drop to him in front of goal.
“I said to the group afterward, ‘If we’re not tidy, tight and fiery in the box, where are we then?” Said Kelderman.
A positive could be gleaned from the Panther attack. Milwaukee found themselves in dangerous positions throughout the game and registered 13 shots, four being on target.
“I think there’s more positives than negatives,” said Kelderman. “We played well enough to give ourselves a chance to get a result today.”
Marquette gained possession of the Milwaukee Cup back in 2022 with a 5-2 win. After three straight draws, the Golden Eagles once again beat Milwaukee to retain the Cup.
Despite falling to Marquette, the Panthers have had a positive start to conference action with one win and one draw in two contests.
Kelderman said the team is in a good place and looks forward to more Horizon League action.
Milwaukee’s next match will see them travel across Lake Michigan to play Oakland. That game is scheduled to start at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday.
“We have a really strong group and we’re all brothers,” said Goodman. “We know what we got to do and what the job is, and we’ll take a look at Oakland and see what we can do.”
After Oakland, the Panthers head down to Virginia to play the Cavaliers next Wednesday.