Titans Travel To UW-Eau Claire For WIAC Championship Opener
UW-Oshkosh gets the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Soccer Championship (Presented by Culver's) underway with a first round contest at UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday (Oct. 30). Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Bollinger Field in Eau Claire.
Sixth-seeded UW-Oshkosh (7-10-1) is seeking its fourth consecutive WIAC postseason win over third-seeded UW-Eau Claire (8-7-1) and its eighth victory in the last nine overall meetings in the series. UW-Oshkosh had its seven-game winning streak against the Blugolds come to a halt with a 1-0 setback in Eau Claire on Oct. 13. UW-Oshkosh ousted the Blugolds from the WIAC Championship during the semifinal round in 2014 and 2015 since beating UW-Eau Claire in a shootout in the first round of the 2011 league tournament.
Tuesday's other first round match features fourth-seeded UW-Platteville (9-9) hosting fifth-seeded UW-Whitewater (9-9-1).
Top-seeded and defending WIAC tournament champion UW-La Crosse (15-2-2), ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III by the United Soccer Coaches, will host the lowest remaining seed during the semifinal round Thursday (Nov. 1). Second-seeded UW-Stevens Point (12-2-3) hosts the highest remaining seed Thursday.
The WIAC Championship final will be contested Saturday (Nov. 3) at the highest remaining seed. The winner of the WIAC Championship earns the league's automatic berth into the 64-team NCAA Division III Championship that begins Nov. 9.
UW-Eau Claire, which won eight straight matchups with the Titans at the WIAC Championship from 1996-2010, is attempting to improve its record to 5-0 against UW-Oshkosh in league tournament contests played in Eau Claire. The Blugolds previously secured home WIAC tournament victories over the Titans in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010. The 2005 and 2006 matchups were in the WIAC Championship final.
UW-Oshkosh claimed WIAC Championship crowns in 2011 and 2014. UW-Eau Claire was the conference tournament winner in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Sophomore midfielder Mallory Knight leads UW-Oshkosh with 16 points on seven goals and two assists. Freshman forward Kylee Brown has scored three goals for the Titans, who have also received two goals each from senior forward Alexis Brewer, sophomore forward Delaney Karl and sophomore forward Hannah Zacher. Karl has a team-leading three assists on the year.
Titans sophomore goalkeeper Erin Toomey has produced a 5-7 record in her 12 starts while junior Madelyn Runyan is 2-3-1 during her six starts. Runyan and Toomey are allowing 1.34 and 1.65 goals per game, respectively, as Toomey has a team-best 48 saves and Runyan 31.
UW-Eau Claire junior midfielder Emily Sullivan has a team-high 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Monica Zoellner has added 13 points on five goals and three assists while freshman forward Krista Koenig has dished out a team-leading five assists.
Blugolds senior goalkeeper Sammie Lefaive sports an 8-6-1 record and a 1.38 goals-against average. She has tallied 63 saves while allowing 19 goals.
UW-La Crosse paces the conference with 3.32 goals per game. Eagles senior midfielder Cassie Handrick ranks second in the conference with 35 points and 14 goals. UW-La Crosse also won the WIAC tournament title in 1996.
UW-Stevens Point, which owns a WIAC-leading 15 league tournament titles, is the conference leader by allowing 0.65 goals per game this season. Pointers sophomore goalkeeper Lexi Pawlowski has surrendered just 11 goals and while recording a WIAC-best seven shutouts.
UW-Platteville, seeking its first league tournament title, boasts the WIAC's leading scorer in freshman forward Caelyn Steffens, who has counted 58 points on 26 goals and six assists.
UW-Whitewater, which ranks second in the league with four WIAC postseason championships, is led by sophomore forward Anna Boyd's eight goals. The Warhawks won conference tournament crowns in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Sixth-seeded teams have compiled a 3-22-2 record at the WIAC Championship. Top seeds have gone 58-4-2 since the event debuted in 1992.