Titans Open WIAC Championship At UW-Stout
UW-Oshkosh commences play in the WIAC Women's Soccer Championship (presented by Culver's) when it visits UW-Stout on Tuesday (Nov. 1). Game time for the first-round matchup is set for 2 p.m. at Nelson Field in Menomonie.
UW-Stout (6-10-2), seeded fourth for the 25th edition of the WIAC Championship, slipped past fifth-seeded UW-Oshkosh (9-8-1), 2-1 in overtime, during their regular season meeting on Oct. 15 in Oshkosh.
Third-seeded UW-Eau Claire (7-8-2) hosts sixth-seeded UW-River Falls (7-9-2) in the league's other first round tournament game on Tuesday.
Top-seeded UW-Whitewater (18-1), ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and second-seeded UW-La Crosse (13-4) will begin WIAC Championship play in the semifinals on Thursday (Nov. 3). UW-Whitewater will host the lowest remaining seed while UW-La Crosse will host the highest remaining seed.
The semifinal winners will then meet on Saturday (Nov. 5) at the site of highest remaining seed for the league's automatic berth into the 64-team NCAA Division III Championship.
At last year's league tournament, third-seeded UW-Whitewater won the title with a 1-0 victory over top-seeded UW-Oshkosh. However, the Titans joined the Warhawks in the 2015 NCAA postseason after receiving an at-large berth into the national championship field. UW-Whitewater advanced to the national quarterfinals while UW-Oshkosh was ousted in the first round following a shootout.
UW-Oshkosh owns an 18-4-6 record in the series with UW-Stout, including a 5-0-1 mark in six WIAC Championship meetings. In their last league tournament matchup, the Titans eliminated the Blue Devils from the 2013 event with a 4-2 shootout victory following a 2-2 tie through two overtimes in Oshkosh.
The Titans have lost to the Blue Devils just twice in Menomonie since the series began in 1995, both by shutout scores of 4-0 in 1998 and 1-0 in 2011.
UW-Oshkosh enters Tuesday's contest ranked second in the conference with seven saves per game and third with 14.94 shots per contest while UW-Stout has a slight edge over the Titans in goals against average (1.19 to 1.25).
UW-Oshkosh, which has tallied 26 goals this season, is led by the 17 points from Robyn Elliott, 13 from Rachel Elliott and 10 from Alyssa Arnold. Twin sisters Robyn and Rachel Elliott have a team-leading five goals apiece while Arnold and AJ Jackson have both scored four goals. Robyn Elliott ranks second in the conference with seven assists, and Rachel Elliott lists fourth in the league with 60 shots.
The Titans have allowed 23 goals and produced six shutouts, including four credited to goalkeeper Madelyn Runyan and a pair to Jessica Galason.
Runyan, who has produced a 5-4-1 record in while protecting the UW-Oshkosh goal, has a team-leading 1.12 goals against average with 58 saves. Galason has a 4-4 record with a 1.23 goals against average and a team-best 61 saves.
Sydney Kasper highlights the UW-Stout offense with 19 points on eight goals and three assists. Kasper, whose goal total ranks fourth in the WIAC, scored the winning goal in the 95th minute of the Blue Devils' victory over UW-Oshkosh earlier this season.
Ryan Millis and Sarah Todey have added 10 points apiece on four goals and two assists for the Blue Devils.
Lynn Johnson has guarded the UW-Stout goal for all but 55 minutes this season. She has compiled a 1.23 goals against average and 90 saves while registering four shutouts.
Opponents are outshooting both the Titans (286-269) and the Blue Devils (235-216) this season.
UW-Oshkosh has won two of its last three contests. The Titans lost a 3-0 decision to UW-La Crosse on Oct. 29 after defeating UW-Eau Claire, 1-0, on Oct. 22 and Marian University, 5-0, on Oct. 24.
UW-Stout has lost its last two matches, results of 4-2 to UW-La Crosse on Oct. 26 and 1-0 to UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 29.
UW-Oshkosh is seeking its third WIAC Championship title while UW-Stout is in search of its first. The Titans captured league tournament championships in 2011 and 2014.
UW-Stevens Point, which did not qualify for this year's WIAC Championship, has won 15 of the league's 24 postseason titles. UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater have claimed three championships apiece, UW-Oshkosh two and UW-La Crosse one.