MILWAUKEE - Aubrey Krahn scored a pair of goals and the Milwaukee women's soccer team held on to claim a 2-1 victory over No. 19 Marquette Sunday night at Engelmann Stadium.
 
Krahn gave the Panthers (9-0-1) a first-half lead and scored again in the 77^th minute to make it 2-0. The Golden Eagles (7-2-1) ended UWM's record shutout streak late, but it was not enough as Milwaukee claimed its first victory over a ranked opponent in 11 years.
 
"The biggest thing, is we talked to the girls about coming out ready to play," Milwaukee head coach Troy Fabiano said. "Obviously, being the crosstown rivalry, they were going to be ready, but they came out, we moved the ball and we put them under some pressure."
 
Goalkeeper Mallory Geurts saw her school-record scoreless streak come to an end at 917:27 – the ninth-longest in NCAA history – but made four saves to help the Panthers set another school record by making it 10 games unbeaten – eclipsing the 1997 squad that went 7-0-2 before suffering a loss in game No. 10.
 
"It was a grind," Fabiano said. "Marquette did a good job in the second half and you know, we absorbed so much pressure, but the girls continued to work. The biggest thing is that the confidence is high. We have to continue that and also have to realize we are just 1-0 in conference. If we go down to UIC and give up a game there, you're only .500 in conference."
 
Krahn redirected a header off a corner kick in the 19^th minute to set the tone. She then was in the right place at the right time late in the second half, slotting home a ball in front off a scramble to make it 2-0 at the 76:31 mark.
 
"The Marquette defender hit it right to me," Krahn said of the eventual winner. "I happened to get a touch on it and slide for it – and it went towards the goal. At that point (late in the game), we just had to control our emotions. A lot of the time, teams get frantic, but at that point we just had to relax, keep the ball, send it down, make them run after it – and go from there."
 
Jamie Kutey ended UWM's shutout streak at nine games in the final minutes when she sent one in off the bottom of the crossbar in the 86^th minute from a tough angle along the end line. The defense then held on from there as the Panthers remain in the ranks of the few remaining unbeaten teams across the country.
 
The Panthers had the better of the play early and nearly had a goal in the sixth minute. Anna Smalley had an opening off a nice lead pass from Krahn, but the charging MU keeper saved the shot right off of her foot.
 
Defense turned into offensive chances for UWM, with Cassidy Blanchard nearly giving Milwaukee the 1-0 lead on an 11^th-minute header.
 
The first goal came off a corner kick. Jen Eberhardy sent it in, finding Blanchard running in front. Her header was on target, redirected in front by Krahn for her fourth goal of the season.
 
Marquette increased the pressure in the second half, but could not take advantage of loose balls in the box, that were cleared out by the UWM defense before clear-cut chances could arrive.
 
Maddie Tetzke forced a tough save by Maddy Henry in the 70^th minute, just in front of a terrific save by Geurts in the 71^st.
 
The second goal came on a bit of a scramble. Mackenzie Schill put a foot on a cross in the box. That ball was headed by an MU defender in the direction of Krahn. She fought for it, got a foot on it and sent it to the upper right off the goal and off of Henry's hands for the brace and the 2-0 advantage at the time.
 
For the game, shots ended even at 18-all, with UWM holding the 9-to-5 advantage in shots on goal. Smalley and McKaela Schmelzer each recorded a team-high four shots. Marquette did end up with the slim 6-5 edge in corner kicks.
 
The win for Milwaukee was the first over a ranked opponent since knocking off then-No. 16 Missouri, 1-0, back on September 17, 2006 – 11 years to the date (UWM had been 0-15-3 since).
 
Up next, it's back to Horizon League play, as the squad puts its unbeaten 10-game start on the line against UIC Saturday, on the road starting at 7 p.m.
 

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