The Kickoff: Tuesday, Sept. 3
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
After falling behind for the first time this season, the UW men’s soccer team scored twice in the final 20 minutes to pull out a 2-1 victory over state rival Marquette in a battle of unbeatens watched by 1,008 fans Monday night at the McClimon Complex.
Once again, freshman forward Dean Boltz played an integral role for the 22nd-ranked Badgers (4-0-0). His shot led to UW’s equalizer, scored by fellow freshman and former club teammate Matthew Zachemski in the 71st minute, and Boltz then scored the game-winner in the 84th as the Badgers improved to 4-0-0 for the first time since 2002.
After a rather uneventful first half on a gorgeous late summer night near the shores of Lake Mendota’s University Bay, the match came to life after the break.
UW had a good spell of possession and a flurry of half-chances coming out of halftime, but the Golden Eagles (3-1-0) forced Badgers freshman goalkeeper Matisse Hébert into a great save on a shot by Andreas Christou from the top of the box on the right side that looked ticketed for the far post in the 61st minute.
Then in the 66th, Abdoul Karmin Pare drew a penalty, as he broke into the box on the right side and was fouled by UW center back Ryan Quintos, who was injured on the play. Marquette junior Mitar Mitrovic sent Hébert the wrong way on the spot kick for his second goal of the season, and the Badgers trailed for the first time in 336 minutes this season. Both goals Hébert and UW have allowed this season have been penalties.
Five minutes later, UW was level. Golden Eagles freshman keeper Marten Brink made a diving stop on Boltz’s shot from the top of the box, but Zachemski was first to the rebound on the right doorstep for his second goal of the season to make it 1-1.
The decisive sequence started with Mitrovic blocking a shot by the Badgers’ Kevin Andrews just outside the box. The ball popped up into the air, and UW’s Noah Glorioso — with his back to goal — got up over three Marquette defenders and his glancing header knocked the ball into open space. Boltz, who was to the right of that group, got to the ball and knocked it past Brink for his seventh goal of the season.
Boltz leads NCAA Division I men’s players in goals, and has been involved in 10 of the Badgers’ 15 goals. UW is second in the country in goals, behind only Duke (21).
Timeout for trivia
Monday marked the 24th win for the UW men over Marquette — the Badgers are 24-16-8 in the series, which dates to their inaugural season in 1977. There is only one team UW has beaten more often than the Golden Eagles. Which team is that? Come up with your guess, and read on for the answer.
College men
Monday’s highlights
UW-Milwaukee 1:1 St. Thomas (Minn.)
The host Panthers (1-0-1) and Tommies (1-1-2) traded goals in a 3-minute span in the final 20 minutes as they drew at Engelmann Stadium. Senior Bienvenu Djunga scored for the second straight game to give Milwaukee the lead in the 74th minute, but Sidney Kerr leveled for St. Thomas in the 76th. The Panthers outshot the Tommies 18-11, including 10-3 on goal, but goalkeeper Moritz Krenc made a career-high nine saves to hold UWM in check. Senior Daniel Ibarra recorded the first assist by a Panthers goalkeeper since 2013 — his goal kick found Mesfin Roda on the right side and Roda touched it on to Djunga, who struck a volley from the corner of the box that beat Krenc to the far post.
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Thursday's game
Marquette vs. Purdue-Fort Wayne, 7 p.m. (FloFC 💲)
Friday's games
UW-Green Bay vs. Chicago State, 4 p.m.
Kentucky vs. UW, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+ 💲)
Recruiting updates
Professional
A trio of UW-Milwaukee alums — defender Clara Broecker and defender-midfielders Brooke Parnello and McKaela Schmelzer — could make their UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying debuts Wednesday with WFC BIIK-Shymkent.
The Kazakh club plays Bulgaria’s NSA Sofia in a semifinal of the Champions Path Group 8 mini-tournament at 6 a.m. CT Wednesday in Luxembourg as the first qualifying round kicks off. Host Racing Union takes on Turkish club Galatasaray in the second semifinal, with the winners to play in Saturday’s final at noon. Wednesday’s losing teams also will contest a third-place match at 6 a.m.
The winners of the 11 mini-tournaments in the Champions Path will join Slavia Praha (Czech Republic), Roma (Italy) and Hammarby (Sweden) in second-round qualifying, where teams will be drawn into two-leg series and vie for spots in the group stage.
Rashida Beal (Germantown) and Lithuanian club FC Gintra are hosting the Champions Path Group 3 mini-tournament in Šiauliai. They will face Moldovan side Anenii Noi at 10 a.m. CT Wednesday, after Finland’s KuPS Kuopio and Scottish club Celtic play in the first semifinal. The final is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, following the 4 a.m. third-place match. Beal, 29, recently joined Gintra and previously played in the Champions League qualifying round with Romanian club FCU Olimpia Cluj in the 2021-22 season.
Follow all the players with state ties playing professionally in the U.S. and around the world on our Wisconsin Players in the Pros chart. If we've missed anyone, email us at wisconsinsoccercentral@gmail.com or let us know on social media.
International
UW sophomore defender Ella Ottey played the full 90 and freshman teammate Jadea Collin came on for the final 27 minutes as Canada tied France 3-3 in a Group B opener at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup on Saturday in Medellín, Colombia.
Canada is back in action tonight against Fiji, which lost to Brazil 9-0 in its opener. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. on FS2. The top two finishers in each of the six groups advance to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-place teams.
College women
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Thursday’s games
Sunday’s games
Notre Dame vs. Marquette, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN+ 💲)
Central Michigan vs. UW-Green Bay, noon (Chippewas All-Access)
Recruiting updates
High school boys
By the numbers: WisSports.net links
Longest active unbeaten streaks
34: Brookfield East (29-0-5)
21: Hudson (18-0-3)
15: Middleton (12-0-3)
12: Milwaukee Marquette (9-0-3)
Longest active winning streak: 9, Union Grove
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties
Timeout for trivia
Which opponent has the UW men’s team beaten the most? It’s Northwestern — the Badgers have 31 wins over the Wildcats. As noted above, Marquette is second at 24, followed by Michigan State (23), UW-Milwaukee (21) and Ohio State (20).