Titans Defeat Warhawks To Set Up First-Place Conference Showdown
A late-season skirmish for sole possession of first place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings is set as UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse both did its part by winning league matches on Wednesday (Oct. 20).
UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse both own 5-0 WIAC records with a pair of league contests remaining for each team on its 2021 schedule. The squads will attempt to break their deadlock atop the conference standings when they meet Saturday (Oct. 23) at UW-Oshkosh's J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. Saturday's clash is the first WIAC matchup of 5-0 teams since UW-Oshkosh hosted UW-Stevens Point during the 2001 season.
UW-Oshkosh, which hosts UW-River Falls in its WIAC finale on Oct. 30, improved its overall record to 12-2-1 with Wednesday's 4-1 road win over defending conference champion UW-Whitewater. This season's record after 15 matches is the best in the 28-year history of the UW-Oshkosh program. The Titans are also 5-0 in the WIAC for the first time since 2001.
UW-La Crosse, the 2017 and 2018 WIAC champion, raised its overall record to 12-2-2 with Wednesday's 2-0 home victory over UW-Platteville. The Eagles host UW-Whitewater in their final WIAC match on Oct. 30.
UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse will both enter Saturday's confrontation with a great deal of momentum. The Titans own an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 matches while the Eagles are 10-1-1 during their last 12 contests.
UW-Oshkosh scored four unanswered goals to erase a 1-0 deficit to UW-Whitewater and extend its winning streak to five consecutive matches on Wednesday.
The Warhawks (10-5, 2-2 WIAC) opened the scoring on Olivia May's unassisted goal during the contest's 15th minute (14:14) of action. It was the seventh goal of the season for May.
UW-Oshkosh then tied the score on Molly Jackson's 25-yard kick and took a 2-1 lead on Maddie Hill's 23-yard boot during the 23rd (22:13) and 33rd (32:10) minute of action, respectively. Piper Green assisted on Jackson's fourth goal of the season while Jackson delivered the key pass for Hill's third goal of the year.
UW-Oshkosh took a 3-1 advantage to intermission on Alyssa Gunderson's 10-yard header just 27 seconds (44:33) before the break. Gunderson's third goal of the season followed a pass from Mackenzie Bennett.
The Titans held their two-goal lead until Jackson scored her second goal of the match during the 82nd minute (81:56) of play. Jackson converted a header from six yards after receiving a pass from Green. The goal was Jackson's fifth of the season and third in three matches.
UW-Oshkosh had an earlier opportunity to increase its lead to 4-1, but Gunderson's penalty kick in the game's 73rd minute was saved by UW-Whitewater goalkeeper Lilly Horne.
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater both attempted 10 shots in the match. The Titans were led by the two shots each from Gunderson, Hill, Jackson and Erin Toboyek. Anna Brodjian paced the Warhawks with three shots.
UW-Oshkosh goalkeeper Erin Toomey played the entire match and allowed one goal with three saves. Toomey stopped UW-Whitewater shots by Brodjian in the contest's 47th and 83rd minute and one by Anna Boyd in the 66th.
UW-Whitewater's Horne also turned in a complete-game performance at goalkeeper. She allowed four goals while counting three saves. Horne's stops followed UW-Oshkosh shots by Hill in the 55th minute, Gunderson in the 73rd (penalty kick) and Rylie Kaufmann in the 81st.
UW-Oshkosh's victory over UW-Whitewater evened the series between the teams at 17-17-3. Both teams entered Wednesday's match ranked in the NCAA Division III Region IX Poll.
Photo by Terri Cole