Titans Voted For Third Place In WIAC Standings
Defending champion UW-Oshkosh is predicted to finish third in the chase for the 2016 WIAC women's soccer championship, according to a poll of the league's eight head coaches and sports information directors.
UW-Oshkosh produced a 14-4-3 record last season and shared the WIAC title with UW-La Crosse. The Titans received one of 20 at-large bids to the 2015 NCAA Division III Championship, where they fell in the first round to DePauw University (Ind.) on a penalty-kick shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 tie following two overtime periods.
UW-Whitewater, which has won five of the last six WIAC championships, is favored to win this year's league title. The Warhawks (20-5 in 2015) placed third in last year's WIAC standings but won the league's postseason tournament to advance to the NCAA Championship for the fifth straight year.
The predictions also had UW-La Crosse (12-7-2) finishing second, UW-Eau Claire (6-10-3) fourth, UW-River Falls (9-8-2) fifth, UW-Stout (8-8-3) sixth, UW-Stevens Point (4-15) seventh and UW-Platteville (3-13) eighth.
Last year, UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse both went 5-1-1 in WIAC matches to tie for the league title. The Titans played to a 1-1 tie with the Eagles but lost a 2-1 decision to UW-River Falls. UW-La Crosse's lone WIAC defeat was a 3-2 overtime loss to UW-Stevens Point.
UW-Whitewater finished third in last year's WIAC standings with a 5-2 league record while UW-Eau Claire placed fourth at 4-3, UW-River Falls fifth at 3-3-1, UW-Stout sixth at 2-4-1, UW-Stevens Point seventh at 2-5 and UW-Platteville eighth at 0-7.
UW-La Crosse joined UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater as participants in last year's NCAA Championship. The selections marked the first time that three WIAC teams competed in the NCAA event during the same season. UW-Whitewater went on to reach to the quarterfinal round of the 64-team tournament, the furthest advancement by a WIAC team since 2000.
UW-Oshkosh opens and closes its WIAC schedule this fall at home. The Titans will host UW-River Falls on Oct. 1, UW-Stout on Oct. 15, UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 19 and UW-La Crosse on Oct. 29, and visit UW-Whitewater on Oct. 5, UW-Platteville on Oct. 9 and UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 22. UW-Oshkosh has won its last five contests against both UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point and its last two matches against UW-Stout.
UW-Whitewater, which enters the season ranked 10th in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, returns 10 starters from a year ago. Senior forward Brianna Reid leads the Warhawk returnees after receiving WIAC Offensive Player of the Year honors the last two seasons.
UW-Oshkosh returns 16 letter winners from last year's team that outscored opponents by a combined 46-17 score and recorded eight shutouts.
Senior midfielder Robyn Elliott, a three-time all-conference and all-region selection, leads the returning group of players for 13th-year UW-Oshkosh head coach Erin Coppernoll. Elliott finished second on the team a year ago with 18 points, seven goals and four assists.
Other returning starters back for the Titans are senior forward Rachel Elliott, junior forward Megan Paulick and junior defender Ally Vandenberg. Elliott, the twin sister of Robyn Elliott, was an all-conference award winner in 2014.
UW-Oshkosh began practice for the 2016 season on Aug. 19.