MILWAUKEE – Traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the second time this season, University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer fell 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion against Marquette University on Saturday afternoon following a late comeback by the Golden Eagles.
The Screaming Eagles (0-3-2) led for most of the match, holding one-goal advantages twice in the contest, but the Golden Eagles (5-1-1) rallied with three second-half goals.
Freshman midfielder
Christian Rotundo and senior midfielder
Garrett Morris each scored their first goals of the season. The goals were the first of their USI Men's Soccer careers. Morris also paced the squad with three shots on Saturday. Sophomore midfielder
Nolan Stevens notched his first assist of the season on Rotundo's first-half goal. Sophomore goalkeeper
Jacob English hauled in six saves for the fourth time this season, bringing his season total to 28. English's 28 saves rank second in the Ohio Valley Conference.
USI came out strong against the Big East Conference's Marquette, with Rotundo heading a Stevens cross on a corner kick into the net in the eighth minute of the match. The Golden Eagles played aggressively, trying to answer and find the leveling goal, but English recorded three saves on five first-half shots to take the Screaming Eagles into halftime ahead, 1-0.
In the second half, Marquette found the equalizing goal in the 68
th minute from Tomiwa Adewumi to make the score 1-1. A few minutes later, USI gained a one-man advantage after a red card was issued to Marquette upon VAR review in the 72
nd minute. By the 80
th minute, USI answered back to reclaim the lead, 2-1, on a goal by Morris into the bottom left corner of the goal.
After two blocked shots, the Golden Eagles' Adewumi found the back of the net for the second time in the match to tie things up at two with a shorthanded goal in the 85
th minute. Just two minutes later, Marquette was awarded a penalty kick, and Adewumi scored to complete the hat trick and give Marquette the 3-2 lead. USI had two opportunities in the final two minutes but could not convert to overcome Marquette's late rally in the final five minutes.
Next, USI Men's Soccer travels across town to the University of Evansville on Tuesday, September 15, for the annual Mayor's Cup match. Kickoff Tuesday from Arad McCutchan Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live stats are available on usiscreamingeagles.com.
