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WIAC
Soccer Teams Eye NCAA Tournament Berth in Postseason Playoffs
Eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women�s
soccer teams start their seasons over this week with one goal in mind:
A berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
UW-Stevens Point hopes to continue its success from the
regular season after winning the league�s regular season title for the
10th consecutive year and extending its all-time conference regular season
record to 71-0-2. The Pointers have won eight of the previous nine WIAC
tournament crowns, including four straight titles.
This year�s version of the Pointers outscored
its eight WIAC foes 46-2, while holding a 242-25 advantage in shots.
UW-Stevens Point brings a 14-1 record into the tournament and a 52-match
WIAC winning streak.
Pointers� sophomore Kelly Fink leads the WIAC in scoring with 19
goals and four assists, while teammate Jenny Bruce ranks second with 11
goals and 11 assists. UW-Stevens Point has shutout nine of its last 11
opponents as Brianna Hyslop has a 0.63 goals against average.
UW-Oshkosh enters the tournament red hot as well. The Titans
have won 10 of their last 11 matches and outscored opponents 30-7 over the
span. However, four of the goals allowed came in their only loss � a 4-0
defeat to UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 10. UW-Oshkosh has won 11 of its last
12 WIAC regular season matches for its highest WIAC finish ever at second
place.
The Titans have allowed just 10 goals all season and are led in
scoring by Katy Werginz with five goals and three assists. Erika Engel has
a 0.96 goals against average.
UW-Eau Claire�s only conference losses both came in
overtime as the Blugolds fell to UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh by
identical 1-0 scores. UW-Eau Claire completed its regular season with a
4-1-1 record in its last six matches, including a 0-0 tie against 16th
ranked St. Thomas.
Erika Thompson has eight goals and five assists for the Blugolds,
while Megan Oswall and Kris Unterweger have each scored nine goals.
UW-La Crosse has been accustomed to tight games this season,
playing six overtime matches, while posting a 6-6-3 record. The Eagles
have had 11 of their 15 matches decided by two goals or less. Amanda Feutz
leads the team with seven goals and five assists for 19 points, while
Jessica Gammey has a 1.16 goals against average.
UW-Whitewater is facing UW-La Crosse in the first round for
the third straight year and looks to overcome a 3-2 overtime loss to the
Eagles earlier this season. The Warhawks won last year�s quarterfinal in
a shootout after a 2-2 tie. UW-Whitewater clinched the fifth seed with a
1-0 win over UW-Stout last week. The Warhawks are led in scoring by Wendy
Scott with eight goals and two assists.
UW-Stout set a school record with 10 victories this season,
while finishing 10-7-1 overall. The Blue Devils are led by Nellie
Sievertsen, who has 11 goals and five assists this season to rank fourth
in the WIAC in scoring. Jessie Sutherland has a 1.18 goals against
average.
UW-River Falls got off to a 5-4 start this season, but
closed its regular season with a 1-5-1 record over the last seven matches.
Amy Gilfillan is one of the league�s top scorers with 14 goals and two
assists this season.
UW-Platteville opens the tournament with UW-Stevens Point
for the fifth straight year and finished the season 3-13-1. The Pioneers
are led by freshman Jessi Jones with five goals and two assists.
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