Titans Post Season-Opening Win Over Pipers

Caitlin Casey (Jr. • Waukesha) and Carmen Fiordellisi (So. • Howard) scored goals in the first 17 minutes of play to lead the UW-Oshkosh women's soccer team to a 4-1 season-opening victory over Hamline University (Minn.) on Wednesday (Sept. 2) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

Casey gave UW-Oshkosh a 1-0 lead when she took a pass from Nicole Strieker (Fr. • Janesville) and sailed a shot into the net at the 12:12 mark of the contest. The Titans doubled their advantage on Fiordellisi's unassisted goal at 16:55 mark of the match.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0) took a 3-0 lead to intermission on Becca Blue's (Fr. • Kimberly) goal just 1:48 before the break. Alaina Landi (So. • Waukesha) was credited with an assist on Blue's goal.

Hamline University (0-2), a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, cut its deficit to 3-1 on Kelsey Caracciolo's assisted goal by Natalie Cooper at the 62:55 mark of the game.

UW-Oshkosh got the goal back less than three minutes later as it upped its lead to 4-1 on Strieker's penalty kick at the 65:24 mark of the match.

UW-Oshkosh compiled advantages of 20-8 in shots and 5-2 in corner kicks. Fiordellisi led the Titans with four shots, while Casey, Strieker and Anna Guilfoil (So. • Madison) had two each. Haley Leverington launched three shots and Caracciolo two for Hamline University.

Goalkeeper Brittany Walder (So. • Waukesha) played all 90 minutes for the Titans and saved four shots.

The Pipers split their goal keeping duties, with Liz Stock saving three shots in the first half and Katherine Gardner halting two shots in the second. Hamline University also had a defender record a save.

UW-Oshkosh, which improved its record to 3-0-1 in its last four season openers, travels to Haverford, Pa., for contests against Wilkes University (Pa.) on Saturday (Sept. 5) and Haverford College on Sunday (Sept. 6).