The Pirates dropped their final game of the season to the Marquette Golden Eagles by a score of 3-0 on Thursday, Oct. 31, finishing their season with a record of 4-11-3.
Marquette went to work early. They put up four shots within a few seconds, with the final one being an easy, open shot for sophomore Haley Christianson. The Golden Eagles led 1-0 at the 8:20-minute mark.
Both teams made good offensive pushes but ultimately with no result. Marquette played physically, racking up three fouls in less than eight minutes. Two of these fouls were on sophomore Emily Fix and freshman Kiera Clarke.
The Pirate crowd got loud as graduate student Brina Micheels made a spinning steal, pushing the ball deep into Marquette territory. Pirates Natalie Tavana and Nina Davis would each take a shot, but to no avail.
The next goal came at 39:54 minutes, once again for Marquette. Although it ricocheted, Aislinn Boyle’s shot reached the back of the net. This was Boyle’s first goal of her senior season. At halftime, the Golden Eagles had a 2-0 lead.
The second half was more of the same for the Pirates, making some offensive opportunities for themselves but ultimately unable to capitalize on goals.
One of the opportunities came at the 67-minute mark when the ball popped up in the air. Sophomore Adria Kitzinger had open space in front of her, but she had to tap the ball slightly with her head to get it under control. This headtap gave the Marquette defense the extra second they needed to get everything under control.
Two minutes later, the Golden Eagles took a commanding 3-0 lead when senior Carina Murphy headbutted the ball off an assist from senior Alexa Maletis. Murphy was amongst a pack of players but was still able to get the headbutt off and execute it perfectly.
With it being the final game of the year and the contest nearly out of reach, a few seniors were subbed in: Anna Prawer, Sophie Liston, and Ella Conger. Meanwhile, senior Natalie Tavana took her final shot, which was hit by the goalkeeper and went over the net.
Tavana received a well-deserved round of applause as she walked off the field. She led the Pirates in points for the past three seasons and has been an impact player since day one.
As the final buzzer sounded, the players hugged each other for an extended period of time. For some, this was their final collegiate game and the end of a long chapter in their lives.
The Pirates finished with a record of 1-6-2 in Big East competition and 4-11-3 overall. Marquette finished with a record of 3-6-1 in Big East competition and 6-11-3 overall.
Matthew Soetebeer is the head editor for The Setonian's Sports section. He can be reached at matthew.soetebeer@student.shu.edu.
