Marquette Golden Eagles
2012 Overall Rank: #32
Conference Rank: #3 Big East
Marquette Team Page
Marquette had a great 2011 campaign, going an impressive 18-4 overall and an even more impressive 10-1-0 in a tough Big East conference. The Golden Eagles fell to Penn State by a score of 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but that score line is quite misleading. After going down 2-0 early, Marquette rallied back to within one before giving up a couple late goals while pushing up for an equalizer.
2011 Record: 18-4-0, 10-1-0
2011 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Markus Roeders
Strengths:
The Golden Eagles ranked 18th in the nation in scoring offense, tallying 2.36 goals per game and they could boost that number up even higher this year. Maegan Kelly is back for her junior campaign after netting 14 goals and dishing out 12 assists. The 5-7 midfielder and forward can do it all and she does it all extremely well. Taylor Madigan is the more traditional scorer. She tallied eight goals on the season and will use her speed and quickness to create space for herself. Kate Reigle, yet another junior, is a great setup player for the scorers. Kelly and Madigan are the stars of this team and rightfully so. It will be very interesting to see how those two work together as upperclassmen and if they can take their game to the next level.
Weaknesses:
The offense is not all good news however. Striker Lindsay Page and midfielder Britney Scott are gone and those were two of the most productive substitutes in the nation last season. Page score five goals and tallied six assists, while Scott added two goals and six assists. Coach Markus Roeders will need to find another player or two that can help Reigle set up Kelly and Madigan. Senior Lisa Philbin is certainly one option who will be back in the starting lineup, but the overall depth may take a hit. Yet, the bigger issue is on defense where the Golden Eagles lose two-time Big East Defensive Player of the year Kerry McBride and goalie Natalie Kulla. McBride started the last 52 games of her career and has been a staple in the back for the better part of three seasons and her absence will be felt. The loss of Kulla is just as big. The 6-0 keeper allowed just 17 goals in 22 games during the 2011 campaign and there are not any experienced options left for Marquette in goal. Sophomore Sofie Schunk saw a little playing time in two games last season, but never made a save. Coach Roeders also brought in freshmen Amanda Engel and Jordan Scott to compete for the job. No matter who is in goal, their lack of experience will be an issue and Marquette will likely give up more shots without McBride on the pitch.
Final Projection:
Marquette has the tools to reach the NCAA Tournament again, but this is a team that may not dominate as much as last season. With the scoring prowess of Kelly and Madigan, the Golden Eagles will be a dangerous team, but they have some huge questions to answer on defense. Kelly and Madigan should be better as upperclassmen, but it will come down to the new keeper and how well the defense can protect her. Fortunately, Marquette should be good enough to reach the NCAA Tournament anyway and by then those problems will be worked out.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
Goals: Maegan Kelly, Junior, M/F, 14
Assists: Maegan Kelly, Junior, M/F, 12
Shots: Maegan Kelly, Junior, M/F, 59
Saves: None
