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Pointers
Rally Past UW-River Falls to Reach WIAC Title Match
UW-Stevens Point was forced to rally from behind, but
used three goals in the final 25 minutes of the match to push past UW-River
Falls 4-1 Friday and reach the title match of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference women�s soccer tournament for the 11th time in the
11-year history of the tournament.
For the eighth time in the tournament�s history and
third straight year, the Pointers (16-0-2) will face UW-Eau Claire, which
tied UW-Oshkosh 2-2, but won in a penalty kick shootout. UW-Stevens Point
has won all seven previous title match meetings with the Blugolds, including
a 1-0 victory last season and 2-0 win in 2000.
UW-River Falls took a 1-0 lead just 2:45 into the
match with the Pointers when Amy Gilfillan broke free from the defense and
launched a shot from 25 yards into the upper corner for her
conference-record 36th goal of the season. Gilfillan had another great
chance just minutes later, but Kortney Krill made the save.
The Pointers tied the game late in the first half
when Kelly Fink put in a rebound of a Melissa Becker shot and then took the
lead with 24:47 left in the match when Fink took advantage of a defensive
miscue by the Falcons. The Pointers crossed the ball in front of the goal
and it was cut off by a defender. Falcons� goalie Apryl Jennrich came out
of the net to pick up the loose ball, but the defender turned and passed the
ball directly to Fink, who drilled a shot into the empty net.
Jenny Bruce added a goal with 15:22 left when she
headed in a cross by Emma-klara Porter. Fink added a goal with just 1:06
left off a pass from Molly Cady to finish with three goals for the day and
giving her 103 career points. She is the seventh player in school history to
reach 100 points and the fastest Pointers� player ever to reach the
century mark, accomplishing the feat in her 38th career match.
UW-Stevens Point held a 26-8 advantage in shots and
Melissa Meister made three second half saves for the Pointers. Jennrich had
seven saves for the Falcons, who finished 13-5-2.
The
Pointers are now 29-1 all-time in WIAC tournament matches and tied a school
record by extending their unbeaten streak to 18 games, which was also
accomplished in 1994.
UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire
will square off at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pointer Soccer Bowl.
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