2004 WIAC Women's Soccer Tournament Preview

     The 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women�s soccer tournament brought about a new format, but has so far produced nearly the same results with three of the four teams returning from the past two seasons of tournament play.

     The tournament, in its first year with a six-team field, is also being contested at a familiar site at UW-Stevens Point, which won its 11th conference title in the 13-year history of the conference and is hosting the finals for the fifth time in six years. The winner of this weekend�s event earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament, which begins on Nov. 10.

     UW-Stevens Point has won the tournament seven straight years and 12 of 13 times, including an overtime victory in the 2003 title match over this year�s semifinal opponent UW-River Falls. The Pointers enter the weekend playing their best soccer of the season, having won six straight matches. Kimie Wiepz is having one of the highest-scoring freshman seasons in school history with 13 goals and two assists for 28 points, while senior Alyssa Souza has 10 goals and four assists for 24 points. Senior Tara Schmitt is a three-time All-WIAC selection and helps anchor the defense.

     UW-Stout is the only unfamiliar face in the field, making its first-ever semifinal appearance. The Blue Devils are 1-8 all-time in postseason matches with the only victory coming in their very first appearance in the 1995 �play-in� match. UW-Stout set a school record with 14 victories and has a trio of outstanding scorers in junior Kelly Stolarczyk, sophomore Shannon Hermes and freshman Michelle Lizotte, who have all scored 35 points or more this year. Senior Melissa Ballweg is one of the league�s top goalkeepers, stopping over 87 percent of shots on goal.

     UW-Oshkosh reached the semifinals by beating UW-Whitewater 2-1 on Tuesday on a goal by Melissa Gruber with 3:55 remaining. The Titans are riding a school-record tying nine-match unbeaten streak and are making their fifth straight trip to the semifinals, but still looking for their first finals appearance. Junior Nicole Kunick is the team�s leading scorer with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points, while sophomore Katy Werginz has 11 goals and one assist for 23 points. Senior midfielder Karin Reinke is one of the team�s top defenders and was an All-WIAC selection last year.

     UW-River Falls lost its final three matches of the regular season, but recovered with a 4-2 win over UW-La Crosse on Tuesday to qualify for its third consecutive trip to the semfinals. The Falcons have a pair of dangerous scorers in junior Sarah Carlson, who 12 goals and 13 assists for 37 points and was last year�s WIAC co-Player of the Year, and sophomore Ashley Peterson, who was an All-WIAC defender last year and has 13 goals and eight assists for 34 points this season. Peterson had two goals and two assists as part of all of the team�s goals in its semifinal win.