Blue Demons Concede Early Set Piece Goal in 1-0 Loss to Marquette

Saturday, October 10

Chicago, Ill.

1 P.M. CT

DePaul University

3-4-5, 0-2-2

Marquette

6-1-6, 2-0-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Marquette	1	0	1
DePaul	0	0	0

Blue Demons Concede Early Set Piece Goal in 1-0 Loss to Marquette

10/10/2026 4:12:00 PM | WOMEN'S SOCCER

Box Score PDF Box Score

CHICAGO – Despite firing off two of the last three shots of the match, DePaul women's soccer couldn't recover after giving up an early goal to the Marquette Golden Eagles, falling 1-0.

With the loss, the Blue Demons fell to 0-2-2 in BIG EAST play.

How It Happened
The lone scoring sequence of the matchup unfolded in the 16th minute, as the Golden Eagles took advantage of a set piece deep in their attacking third.

Emily Fix got the play started with a throw-in to Megan Murray on the far side. As Murray made a run toward the box, Lilly Coats made her move, getting in front of goal in time to field Murray's cross and net the go-ahead goal.

Mya Gardner and Jericho Frigon each looked to find the equalizer, taking shots in the 20th and 40th minute, respectively, but the pair of attempts was blocked by Marquette. The Blue Demons entered halftime trailing 1-0.

Goalkeeper Mason Hillery's action picked up in the second half, as the senior netminder made the first of four second-half saves in the 55th minute to keep the Blue Demons in the match.

On the other side of the pitch, the duo of Katelyn Haiser and Sierra Bennett nearly found the tying goal in the 58th minute. After spinning around defenders at the top of the 18-yard box, Haiser quickly took the left-footed shot, which bounced off the crossbar back into play. Bennett was in front of goal for the rebound, but her shot went high.

As DePaul looked to knot the match, Marquette's offense continued its relentless pursuit but Hillery refused to give in. In the 60th minute, Hillery denied the Golden Eagles a dangerous chance at an insurance goal with a diving save.

Hillery and the Blue Demon defense held firm through the remaining 30 minutes, turning away repeated attacks to keep the deficit at one. However, DePaul's late offensive pushes — ending with a shot taken by Danielle Fjeldsted and collected by Marquette goalkeeper Mia Hurd — couldn't break through before time expired, cementing the final 1-0 score in favor of the Golden Eagles.

Marquette held a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks and a 15-8 edge in shots throughout the match. Hillery made five saves.

"It was another closely contested game, and unfortunately, we came up just short," said head coach Michele O'Brien. "We didn't bring our best game today, but the one-goal difference shows how competitive this match was and how close we were. We'll learn from this experience, continue to build, and look forward to the opportunity to respond in our next game."

Match Notes

DePaul committed just nine fouls over 90 minutes, marking its lowest single-game total since tallying seven against Southern Indiana on Sept. 17.
The match with the Golden Eagles marks the fifth time the Blue Demons have conceded just one goal to their opponent.

Up Next
The Blue Demons look to bounce back on the road competing in Storrs, Conn., against the UConn Huskies Saturday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m. CT. Coverage is available on ESPN+. Ahead of the match, the Huskies are undefeated at home — 3-0-3 — and the Blue Demons remain unblemished on the road — 2-0-2.

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