Shootout Victory Gives Titans WIAC Tournament Title

UW-Oshkosh rallied from a two-goal deficit during the penalty kick shootout to upset regular-season champion UW-Whitewater in the championship match of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Soccer Tournament held Saturday (Nov. 5) in Whitewater.

Each team scored once in regulation, UW-Oshkosh (12-6-3) on a goal by Chelsea Kierszh (So. • Oshkosh) in the 65th minute (64:47) and UW-Whitewater (13-4-2) on a goal by Christina Tooren in the 74th (73:53). It was the sixth goal of the season for Kierszh and the 11th for Tooren.

Following two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods, UW-Oshkosh captured its first WIAC Tournament title with a 4-3 victory in the penalty kick shootout. The match goes down in history as a tie, thus ending UW-Whitewater's nine-game winning streak.

The penalty kick session opened with goals by UW-Oshkosh's Kelsey Spaith (Sr. • Madison) and UW-Whitewater's Tooren. After missed attempts by the Titans' Nikki Reed (Sr. • Muskego) and Kierszh, the Warhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals by Alyssa Chamberlain and Laren Nashleanas.

UW-Oshkosh cut its deficit to 3-2 on a goal by Nicole Strieker (Jr. • Janesville) and a missed shot by UW-Whitewater's Sarah Sedlar. The five-round, penalty kick shootout ended in a tie as the Titans' Katie Behrens (Jr. • Milton) converted her boot while the Warhawks' Emily Gerber sailed her attempt over the top crossbar.

Due to the deadlock, the contest went to another round of penalty kicks. UW-Oshkosh opened the decisive round with a boot into the net by Lindsey Collette (Jr. • Green Bay). The Titans then celebrated as a kick by the Warhawks' Kaitlyn Fritsch bounced off the crossbar.

UW-Oshkosh, which dropped a 1-0 decision to UW-Whitewater on Sept. 28, totaled nine shots and one corner kick through the two overtime periods. The Titans were led by the three shots of Kierszh and the two of Becca Blue (Jr. • Kimberly).

UW-Whitewater finished play through the two overtime sessions with 24 shots and 12 corner kicks. Tooren owned nine shots for the Warhawks and Fritsch, Gerber, Nashleanas, Sedlar and Pamela Lisowe two each.

UW-Oshkosh goalkeeper Brittany Walder (Sr. • Waukesha) saved nine shots, including five in the first half and three in the second. Walder recorded a save during the penalty kick shootout.

UW-Whitewater goalkeeper Jordan Myers tallied her lone save in the first half. She also tallied a save during the penalty kick shootout.

By winning the WIAC Tournament, UW-Oshkosh earned the league's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship. The Titans, who also competed in the NCAA Division III Championship in 2006, will find out their first-round opponent in the 64-team tournament on Monday (Nov. 7).