Sunday game-day notes

Don’t let Whitewater’s 8-5-3 record fool you: This is a tall, physical, pacey side that can score in a flash. We’ve seen the men’s soccer team up to the task against Rochester, and they might want to channel that effort again today.

We’ll be on air with pre-game around 1:40 p.m. CT, with a 2 p.m. kickoff. It’s all on Go Maroons LIVE.

• Many of you might not be aware of the history between Chicago and Whitewater. Back in 2005, we witnessed an absolute thriller at Stagg Field. After Whitewater’s top striker missed a wide-open goal—color commentator Mark Liskevych said it was harder to miss than it was to score—that would have ended the game in overtime. A minute later, the Maroons marched down the field: Palloni, Standerfer (scissor-step), Ehle.

The result? A win and one of the top goal calls in Go Maroons history: 2005 Replay: Chicago beats Whitewater in OT

Omar Al-Ubaydli and Mark Liskevych were on that call. (Note that at the time we were broadcasting from inside the athletic department’s break room, positioned at about the 18-yard box at the south end. We were using a lapel microphone and recording off-mike. We’ve come a long way!)

• The next year, the Maroons marched up to Wisconsin and made it two in a row. It was a back-and-forth, ultra-physical game. Edgar Friloux, as a first-year, came up with the double, both set up by Andrew Hamilton. His second goal was a diving header to break the tie with 13 minutes left.

• The last two years, the Maroons have lost by large margins: 3-0 at home in 2007 and 2-0 on the road in 2008.

So despite the fact that the men’s soccer team has improved in just about every area this year—incremental steps that have helped lead to that big jump in the standings—the burden is on the Maroons to prove that they can take control of this rivalry.

And this is only partly a coincidence: In 2005 and 2006, Chicago made the postseason. In 2007 and 2008, they missed it. This kind of late, quality non-conference game can have a significant effect on a team’s chances.