Marquette Stays Undefeated, Holds Off Eureka

Three weeks into the 2011 boys soccer season and no team in the area is hotter than .

Already this season, the Mustangs (6-0-1) are unbeaten in six early-season contests, including a championship win at the St. Charles/St. Charles West Tournament, and five straight shutouts by goalkeeper Mark Goldstein.

Up through last week, Marquette was one of only 12 undefeated teams remaining in the area St. Louis area.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Mustangs got their first real test defending that title as they faced Eureka at home in a league-opener for both teams.

Thanks to a brilliant first-half surge that led to two goals, and a tight defense that held Eureka off at the end, Marquette ultimately pulled ahead with a 3—2 victory.

“We won, and we’re happy for that, but honestly, I didn’t think we played very well,” Marquette head coach Chris Kenny said. “In the first half, we had some good stretches where we were moving the ball and working together. But in the second half, after we scored, it looked as if we figured that we’d done our work and the game was over.”

Marquette led 2-0 at the half after a quick pair of goals by seniors Jordan Singer and Geoff Silver, and went up 3-1 early in the second half after Jake Schoch got Eureka on the board. Silver then answered with his second goal of the day, following a magnificent set up by teammates Jake Peters and Will Valentine.

The only thing that topped Peters’ aerial pass and Valentine’s through-ball header through the Eureka defense was Silver’s incredible finish, which he pulled off by chipping the ball over a defender’s head, then smashing a shot into the Wildcat's net for Silver's sixth goal of the young season.  

At that point, it seemed the Mustangs had the game in firm control, but Eureka head coach Dan Schneider knew his team wouldn’t let up.

“That’s just the kind of kids they are,” Schneider said. “They’ll battle, and they’ll keep working. We just thought if we could get one, then at least we’d give ourselves a chance.”

Sure enough, within minutes after Silver’s sensational second goal, Eureka assembled its own passing display before putting a second ball in the opposing net Tuesday.

It started when senior Luke Fornwalt, who assisted on Schoch’s goal earlier in the half, stole a pass from a Marquette defender and sent a beautiful cross into the left corner for teammate Nate Wilcoxson.

The junior striker then found some space and lifted a pass to the back post, where senior Parkey Levy was waiting all alone to tap in a goal that pulled Eureka to just one goal behind.

It was 65 minutes ito the game and as close as the Wildcats would get to a win, as Marquette goalkeeper Mark Goldstein denied Eureka multiple in the game's final minutes of a goal that would have tied the game.

“Mark came up with a couple of big plays when we had to have them,” Kenny said. “Defensively, we just had way too many breakdowns in that second half. When we went up 3-1, we got lazy, maybe we figured it was over. But Eureka just kept coming.”

The victory lifts Marquette to 6-0-1 on the season, with a 1-0 mark in conference play. Eureka fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the league.

The Wildcats will be back in action Thursday, September 15 when they're scheduled to host another Suburban West Conference foe, Parkway South, at Eureka High at 6 p.m.

Marquette also is scheduled to play next against Parkway South. That game is scheduled to start at Noon on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Complex in Fenton as part of the annual Parkway Tournament.

SCORING SUMMARY

Score by Halves

F

Eureka (3-2)

0

2

2

Marquette (6-0)

2

1

3

First Half

Marquette: Jordan Singer (3), assisted by Ryan Marks – 33:06.

Marquette: Geoff Silver(5), assisted by Will Valentine – 30:49.

Second Half

Eureka: Jake Schoch (2), assisted by Luke Fornwalt – 32:06.

Marquette: Geoff Silver (6), assisted by Kevin Leeker – 29:12.

Eureka: Parker Levy (1), assisted by Nathan Wilcoxson – 25:44.