MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Oakland played to a 2-2 draw against Marquette in their 2026 season opener on Thursday at Valley Fields. In what was a tight contest all the way through, Oakland was the more aggressive squad offensively, recording 12 shots, putting three on goal, in a nail-biter of a match.
The match commenced with Marquette taking an immediate lead as Mateo Stoka found the net in the second minute. Oakland responded with resilience, culminating in
Cal Kurzawa's equalizer at the 35th minute, assisted by
Grant Mateer. Kurzawa's first career goal came at the perfect time for Oakland, as they seized momentum in the match. The half concluded with the score level at 1-1, setting the stage for a competitive second half.
The second period began with Oakland applying heavy offensive pressure, as
Andriy Bilous and
Jayden Pinheiro both tested Marquette's defense early on, taking two of the team's nine second half shots, compared to just two by the home team.
Despite consistent attempts, including a notable save by Marquette's Cameron Simpson against Kurzawa as he tried for his second goal of the match, Oakland was initially unable to find the back of the net. Marquette capitalized on a scoring opportunity in the 71st minute when Tomiwa Adewumi snuck one just past the feet of Oakland's
Zach Townsend, as the ball trickled across the goal line to put Marquette ahead 2-1.
Oakland responded in the 82nd minute with
Ethan Clarke-Rootham leveling the score at 2-2, injecting energy back into the Golden Grizzlies in the clutch. Clarke-Rootham joined Kurzawa with his first career goal as well on the day.
Clarke-Rootham and
Stephen Gilbert continued to challenge Marquette's defense, but the match remained tightly contested, and finished in a 2-2 draw at the final whistle.
Along with his goal, Kurzawa added three total shots, two of which were on target. Clarke-Rootham and
Kinan Abdulrazzak added two shots apiece, while Mateer provided an assist, helping to set up a scoring opportunity.
Oakland will travel to Madison, Wis., to face the University of Wisconsin on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m for their next contest.
