Titans Face Challenging Women’s Soccer Schedule
The UW-Oshkosh women's soccer team will play three nationally ranked opponents, including two at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium, as part of its formidable 18-match schedule for the 2018 season.
UW-Oshkosh's agenda also features 14 matches against teams that produced winning records last year, including five reigning conference champions and five NCAA Division III postseason qualifiers.
Among the Titans' stern tests this fall are a road game against defending national runner-up University of Chicago (Ill.) and home contests against 2017 NCAA postseason participants UW-La Crosse and Loras College (Iowa). The University of Chicago enters the 2018 season ranked second in the country by the United Soccer Coaches, UW-La Crosse ninth and Loras College 22nd.
UW-Oshkosh (8-8-4 record in 2017), which has suffered just one losing season since 2000, begins its 26th season by taking on Luther College (Iowa) (7-10-2) on Aug. 31 and The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) on Sept. 1 in Duluth, Minn. The College of St. Scholastica (13-7-3) placed second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and advanced to the Division III Championship by winning the league's postseason tournament.
UW-Oshkosh hosts its home opener against St. Olaf College (Minn.) (9-8-2) on Sept. 8 and welcomes Milwaukee School of Engineering to J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium on Sept. 9. Milwaukee School of Engineering (12-9) is the defending champion in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
The Titans then hit the road for four matches, beginning with Lawrence University (2-16) on Sept. 12 and University of Dubuque (Iowa) (9-4-4) on Sept. 14. UW-Oshkosh travels to University of Chicago (22-2) on Sept. 16 and Carthage College (10-7-1) on Sept. 19. University of Chicago, the defending University Athletic Association champion, suffered a 1-0 setback to Williams College (Mass.) in last year's national championship game.
UW-Oshkosh returns home to face Concordia University Wisconsin (10-7-3) on Sept. 23 and UW-La Crosse (20-2-3) in the WIAC opener on Sept. 29. UW-La Crosse captured the WIAC title last season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship.
After visiting UW-Whitewater (14-4-4) on Oct. 3, hosts UW-Stout (9-6-5) on Oct. 6 and Loras College (15-2-3) on Oct. 10. Loras College won the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title last year and advanced to the second round of the national tournament. UW-Whitewater received an at-large berth to last season's Division III Championship.
Following a road match against UW-Eau Claire (5-11-1), UW-Oshkosh concludes its home schedule with games against UW-Stevens Point (9-8-2) on Oct. 17 and UW-River Falls (5-14-1) on Oct. 20.
The Titans wrap up the regular season with road games against St. Norbert College (12-4-3) on Oct. 24 and UW-Platteville (7-11) on Oct. 27. St. Norbert College is the defending Midwest Conference champion.
The WIAC Championship begins with a pair of opening-round games on Oct. 30 and concludes with semifinal round games on Nov. 1 and the final on Nov. 3.
Last season UW-Oshkosh compiled a 6-6-3 record against opponents on this year's schedule. The Titans notched victories against Lawrence University, University of Dubuque, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls and UW-Whitewater while securing ties against UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout.
UW-La Crosse secured last year's WIAC title with a 7-0 record. The Eagles were followed in the league standings by second-place UW-Whitewater at 4-2-1, third-place UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stout at 3-1-3, fifth-place UW-Stevens Point at 2-3-2, sixth-place UW-River Falls at 2-4-1, seventh-place UW-Eau Claire at 2-5 and eighth-place UW-Platteville at 0-7.
UW-Oshkosh head coach Erin Coppernoll welcomes back 20 of 31 letter winners from last year's squad that allowed just 25 goals in 20 games and made a WIAC-leading 157 saves. Coppernoll enters her 15th season at UW-Oshkosh with a 152-101-30 record (176-146-33 in 19 overall seasons).
The Titans return six of their 11 starters from a year ago, including sophomore midfielder Addie Schmitz who earned All-WIAC First Team honors in her debut collegiate season. Schmitz had two goals last season while collecting a team-leading four assists, 36 shots and 23 shots on goal.
Other starters back for UW-Oshkosh are junior forward Ashley Baalke, senior midfielder Alexis Brewer, sophomore forward Toria Koch, junior midfielder Maddie Morris and junior forward Madison Smith. Brewer tallied four goals and Morris three to list as the Titans' top returning goal scorers from a year ago.
UW-Oshkosh, the 2015 WIAC co-champion, made NCAA Division III Championship appearances in 2006, 2011, 2014 and 2015.
UW-Oshkosh, which begins practice for its 2018 season on Saturday (Aug. 18), kicks off the year with an exhibition match against Marian University on Wednesday (Aug. 22) at J. J. Keller Field Titan Stadium.