Wisconsin Soccer Central

MILWAUKEE – Keegan Ziada is an Australian who spent the past three years in South Carolina.

But even having spent only a small amount of time in the UW-Milwaukee men's soccer program, he's fully embraced the Panthers' rivalry with Marquette.

"Before you even come here you know that this is a big game. You check the calendar for the Marquette game," said Ziada, a transfer from NCAA Division II Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C. "It didn't take me long to buy into that competitiveness."

Ziada made his mark in his only likely appearance in the series, scoring what proved to be the game-winner as Milwaukee held off the Golden Eagles 2-1 in front of 1,743 Friday night at Engelmann Stadium to retain the Milwaukee Cup. (Video highlights below)

Senior forward Robert Refai scored the opener in the 23rd minute and Ziada doubled the lead 13 minutes later as the Panthers (3-1-0) turned in a solid first-half performance and withstood Marquette's second-half pressure to craft their first three-game winning streak since 2006.

"We probably were the better team in the first half, and they played some better soccer in the second half," Milwaukee coach Chris Whalley said. "We missed some chances; if we would've took them we could have really put the game away. But they showed good character, they're a well-coached team, they worked hard. But it's real pleasing to make sure we kept the Cup."

A moment of indecision proved costly for the Golden Eagles (1-3-0) on Refai's opener.

Milwaukee's Alex Megna (Milwaukee Marquette) and Marquette's C. Nortey, both freshman midfielders, challenged for a 50-50 ball in the Golden Eagles' half. It appeared Marquette players slowed, expecting a whistle and a foul, but referee Abbey Okulaja played advantage and UWM played on.

Megna had knocked the ball forward in the challenge, English freshman midfielder Laurie Bell flicked it into the path of Refai, and the Swede burst in past two defenders and finished over Golden Eagles junior goalkeeper David Check for his third goal of the season.

Another Milwaukee freshman from England, Nick Langford, made an immediate impact in his collegiate debut.

Just four minutes after coming into the match as a substitute, the former Mansfield Town striker got the ball in the midfield circle and threaded a ball between two Marquette defenders for Ziada. The Aussie raced onto it and sent a left-footed shot past Check from the left side of the box to make it 2-0 in the 36th.

"Keegan took it very, very well. He's a good player," Whalley said of Ziada, who had 22 goals and 25 assists in 45 games at Limestone – Panthers assistant Ben Shepherd played there and was an assistant for the Saints for five seasons before coming to Milwaukee.

"I think it might show some people that there are some good players at the Division II level, as well."

The Golden Eagles made some changes at halftime, pushing senior Calum Mallace up from central defense into his more familiar role in the center of the midfield, shifting senior Michael Alfano from right back to center back and dropping senior Amilcar Herrera (Milwaukee Riverside) to right back.

Mallace and Alfano were making their season debuts after missing the first three matches due to injury, and were called into action alongside sophomore Eric Pothast in central defense because 6-foot-7 Swedish freshman Axel Sjoberg suffered a broken foot in last Sunday's 1-0 loss to Western Illinois.

"I'll be honest with you: I can't say enough about Michael Alfano and Calum Mallace," Marquette coach Louis Bennett said. "They basically got off the training table and got on the field. For them to go 90 minutes – or Alfano, probably 80 minutes – they played with such great heart and such great determination. I don't think they really put a foot wrong considering that they had very little time to prepare."

Marquette looked like a different team in the second half with Mallace pulling the strings in the midfield.

"When Mallace moves into midfield, it gives us a different dynamic, it gives us a little more stability, it allows (Bryan Ciesiulka) not to be the center of attraction all the time and so we flow a little better," Bennett said. "He obviously is an offensive threat."

In the 58th minute, the Golden Eagles had the ball in the back of the net, as junior forward Chris Madsen (Brookfield Central) headed a cross from sophomore left back Paul Dillon from the left flank back across the goal for sophomore forward Adam Lysak (Milton) to finish, but Lysak was ruled offside.

Mallace was integral in the set piece that led to Marquette's goal, drawing a foul about 25 yards out on the right side and playing in a free kick.

Nortey's header from the middle of the box was ticketed for the goal, but Panthers junior keeper John Shakon made a diving, one-handed save. Junior Andy Huftalin reacted quickly and put the ball in at the near post, his second of the season slicing Milwaukee's lead in half in the 70th.

Huftalin nearly pulled the Golden Eagles even two minutes later, but the forward narrowly missed connecting on a cross from Dillon. Shakon grabbed Mallace's free kick from 25 yards out in the 88th, then stopped Huftalin at the far post on a corner kick by Ciesiulka in the 89th to seal the victory.

"For me, had we put away some of the opportunities we had, it could have been a different game," said Bennett, whose team didn't allow a shot on goal in the second half against his former team.

"I thought our team played very, very well. Coming away from home, this is a difficult place to play, I know it only too well. ... We've just got to do a better job of defending."

Whalley, meanwhile, celebrated his second win in as many tries in the heated rivalry. Milwaukee holds a 27-9-3 advantage in the series; Bennett had a 5-4-1 record in Milwaukee Cup matches during his 10 seasons as Panthers coach (1996 to 2005).

"If I can win as many as Louis Bennett won, I think I'll be all right," Whalley said of the Cup. "It means a lot, of course it does. It's only one game and on our win and loss record, it doesn't mean any more, but I think for the alumni and for our guys, it is important and it is special."

UW-Milwaukee – Robert Refai (Laurie Bell, Alex Megna) 23
UW-Milwaukee – Keegan Ziada (Nick Langford, Gerardo Saavedra) 36
Marquette – Andy Hutftalin (C. Nortey) 70

UW-MILWAUKEE: John Shakon; Zach Stevenson, James Ashcroft, Adam Hutchinson, Richard Johnson; Gerardo Saavedra, Alex Megna, Laurie Bell, Keegan Ziada; Cody Banks, Robert Refai. Substitutes: Riley Weiner, Nick Langford, Robbie Boyd, Ross Van Osdol.

MARQUETTE: David Check; Paul Dillon, Eric Pothast, Calum Mallace, Michael Alfano; Ryan Robb, Bryan Ciesiulka, C. Nortey; Kelmend Islami, Andy Huftalin, Amilcar Herrera. Substitutes: Chris Madsen, Adam Lysak, Anthony Selvaggi, John Mau.

Saves: UWM 7 (Shakon 7), M 3 (Check 3). Shots: UWM 16, M 17. Fouls: UWM 18, M 10. Corner kicks: UWM 3, M 4. Offsides: UWM 4, M 2. Discipline: UWM – Megna (caution-dissent, 35), M – Herrera (caution-foul, 56); UWM – Ziada (caution-dissent, 78); UWM – Team (caution-dissent, 80); M – Robb (caution-foul, 81); UWM – Bell (caution-foul, 87). Att. — 1,743.

Highlights

Postgame interviews