Aug. 31, 2009

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MILWAUKEE -- Valley Fields (1818 W. Canal Street) will be at the epicenter of collegiate men's soccer Tuesday, Sept. 1, as the Marquette Golden Eagles will open the 2009 regular season by hosting the Milwaukee Panthers in the 37th annual battle for the Milwaukee Cup. Kick off is set for 7:05 p.m.

Tickets for Tuesday's regular season opener are still available. Call the MU ticket office at (414) 288-GOMU (4668) for more information. Tickets can also be ordered online.

Fans will receive $1 off the price of admission at the gate Tuesday by donating a new or gently used children's book to the Next Door Foundation's "Books for Kids" program. The promotion runs throughout the month of September at all Marquette and Milwaukee home matches.

Marquette reclaimed the Milwaukee Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to the annual winner of the local derby, with a 2-0 win over the Panthers in front of nearly 1,400 fans at UWM's Engelmann Field last October. Billy Von Rueden assisted on both goals, finding teammates Calum Mallace and Tom Lynn.

Tuesday's match will be broadcast live in southeastern Wisconsin by Time Warner Cable Sports 32. Matt Menzl will handle the play-by-play, alongside analyst Sean Reti.

Live streaming audio will also be available, courtesy of WMUR.

Key Storylines
Tuesday’s match between Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the opening match of the 2009 regular season for both teams. It also marks the 37th battle for the “Milwaukee Cup,” a traveling trophy awarded to the squad that wins the annual crosstown derby. Louis Bennett enters his fourth season as head coach at MU after spending 10 seasons at UWM, where he helped lead the Panthers to a string of five straight NCAA postseason appearances.

Series History
Marquette reclaimed the “Milwaukee Cup” with a 2-0 win over UWM at Engelmann Field last October. Billy Von Rueden assisted on goals by Calum Mallace and Tom Lynn. It ended a four-year reign by the Panthers, who hold a 25-8-3 all-time advantage in the crosstown derby. The last time these two squads met at Valley Fields was in 2007 and resulted in a 1-1 draw. Dan Addis gave MU a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute, but UWM's Steve Bode (now an assistant coach at Marquette) forced overtime with an equalizer in the closing minutes of regulation.

“Bring a Book, Save a Buck” During September Home Matches
During the month of September the Golden Eagles will team up with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men’s soccer squad to collect books during all home matches. Fans will receive $1 off the price of admission by donating a new or gently used children’s book the gate. All books collected will benefit the Next Door Foundation’s “Books for Kids” program.

School Ties
There’s much more binding these two teams than the historical series. Louis Bennett accepted the head coaching position at Marquette in 2006 following a 10-year stint as head coach of the Panthers. Bennett hired Stan Anderson, his top assistant at UWM, as an associate head coach. MU goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski initially played at UWM before transferring to cross town. Additionally, former MU assistant coach Jesse Rosen is now the top assistant coach at UWM, while former Panthers defender Steve Bode is now an assistant under Bennett at Marquette.

About the Golden Eagles
Louis Bennett has high aspirations for his 2009 Marquette Golden Eagles as the fourth-year head coach returns 20 letterwinners from last year's squad, highlighted by nine returning starters. Senior goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski will anchor a stingy defense that allowed 1.17 goals per match a season ago. Pyzdrowski, who ranks eighth all-time at MU in saves (145), posted a collegiate-high four shutouts last year. Bennett also returns leading scorer Anthony Colaizzi, who tallied four goals in 14 games as a sophomore in 2008.

About the Opponent
After starting the 2008 season at 3-3-3, the Milwaukee Panthers finished the campaign with a 4-10-5 overall record. Jon Coleman enters his fourth season as head coach since taking over for Louis Bennett, and his 17th straight year overall with the program as either a coach or a player. Sophomore Eric Frazier is one of eight returning starters and was the team's top scorer a season ago. Frazier led UWM in 2008 with six goals, four assists and 16 points en route to earning Second-Team All-Horizon League distinction

Golden Eagles on T.V.
Tuesday’s match will be broadcast live locally on Time Warner Cable Sports 32 with Matt Menzl (play-by-play) and Sean Reti (color analyst) making the call. It is one of two Marquette home games (Oct. 7, Notre Dame) scheduled to be televised this season.

Mr. Dependable
Senior defender Billy Von Rueden has played in 51 of a possible 52 collegiate matches during his tenure at Marquette. The Mequon, Wis., native has also been a fixture in coach Louis Bennett’s starting lineup over the last few years. Von Rueden will be looking to make his team-high 40th consecutive start Tuesday night against UWM. 

In The Record Books
Junior goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski ranks among Marquette's all-time leaders in several career statistical categories. Pyzdrowski currently ranks eighth in saves (148) and goals against average (1.43). Additionally, he has served a total 3,888 minutes between the posts, which ranks sixth in the Golden Eagles record book.