We've got a wild and packed weekend of events for Marquette athletics, so let's get to it!
Your #9/#13 Marquette women's soccer team has two crucial home games against divisional opponents. You can listen to both matches on Marquette Radio's live stream here. The first is this evening against Providence (4-6-4, 2-4-0) in a Kick For The Cure game. I'll let the athletic department explain further:
All fans wearing pink will receive 2-for-1 admission. The first 200 children (ages 12-and-under) will receive a free pink glow stick. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase. Raffle prizes include a pink soccer ball signed by head women’s soccer coach Markus Roeders, and basketballs signed by head men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams and head women’s basketball coach Terri Mitchell. All proceeds raised from Marquette’s Kick for a Cure game will go towards the Milwaukee Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness Program.
Providence comes in riding a 3 game losing streak and a 275:38 scoreless streak. Given that Natalie Kulla has 8 shutouts to her credit on the season, things aren't looking good for the Friars. Marquette's defensive efforts will be no doubt focused on senior midfielder Laura DiClemente, who has 6 of Providence's 16 goals on the season.
Sunday afternoon brings the Connecticut Huskies (5-5-2, 2-2-2) to Valley Fields following their 3rd straight road game at South Florida tonight. UConn snapped a 4 game winless streak in their last outing, beating DePaul 2-1. Danielle Schulmann has done the most offensive damage for the Huskies this season. She has 7 goals while only appearing in 10 of UConn's 12 games. Jessica Dulski has played every minute in net for UConn, compiling a GAA of 1.20 while saving 78.3% of the shots she's seen.
After the jump: The lone men's soccer game and two volleyball matches!
Divisional play begins for men's soccer with a trip to Providence (6-3-1, 1-0-1) on GamSaturday night. It'll be a test of Coach Bennett's squad, as the Friars are ranked #22 in the country on the most recent Soccer America poll. Marquette and Providence are 2 of the 4 teams in the Big East's Blue division who have yet to lose a conference match. The Friars are at a vulnerable point in their season, as they are currently on a 2 game winless streak, including a shutout loss at Boston University on Tuesday. 4 different Friars have scored multiple goals this season and keeper Jhojan Obando has recorded 5 shutouts.
Moving to volleyball, Georgetown (9-8, 1-3) come to the Al McGuire Center tonight. A Sunday home win over West Virginia snapped a 3 match losing streak for the Hoyas. 5 different Georgetown players average more than 2 kills per set and junior setter Ashley Malone is averaging 10.55 assists in every set. Dani White sits 3rd in the Big East in hitting percentage, but she's bracketed on all sides by 3 Golden Eagles: Danielle Carlson and Carol Henney in front of her and Courtney Mrotek behind her.
Following a trip to Syracuse tonight, Villanova arrives in Milwaukee for a match on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats (12-5, 4-0) head into the weekend one of 5 teams - including Marquette - unbeaten in Big East play. Junior outside hitter Morgan Petkovich leads Villanova with 3.04 kills/set and chips in 2.68 digs in every set on average as well. Libero Kim Maroon leads the Big East with 6.67 digs/set.
Both matches will be available through live free streaming on GoMarquette.com.