By Paul Bressler
The UW-Whitewater women’s soccer team is gearing up to host UW-Oshkosh in the WIAC conference championship game at 6 p.m. this Saturday at Fiskum Field.
The No. 1-seeded Warhawks are advancing to its fourth consecutive WIAC championship game after defeating the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds, 3-0, Thursday night at Fiskum Field.
The victory was the ’Hawks’ sixth consecutive against the Blugolds, dating back to Oct. 2009. Despite the recent success, Head coach Ryan Quamme knows it never comes easy.
“Eau Claire is a well-coached team with great players,” Quamme said. “They’re a high pressure team and they execute really well. Every year since I’ve been here we can always count on a battle against them every game.”
The ’Hawks got on the board early with a header from freshman forward Carina Krausert in the 12th minute of the game. Senior defender Jessica Allemang was credited with the assist after sending a free kick into the box, leading to a 1-0 advantage.
Junior midfielder Sarah Sedlar wasted little time in the second half, finding freshman forward Carly Pottle in the box for her ninth goal of the season. Pottle’s left foot at the 53:03 mark gave the ’Hawks a 2-0 lead.
The ’Hawks’ third and final goal came from freshman defender Sierra High in the 62nd minute off of a corner kick.
The ’Hawks clamped down on the Blugolds in the second half, not allowing a shot on goal the entire half. Junior goalkeeper Jordan Myers recorded her seventh solo shutout of the season, and earned her 13th win of the season by making two saves in net.
The ’Hawks had total control of the field the entire night. They outshot the Blugolds 14-7 with a 9-2 edge in shots on goal. The ’Hawks also lead a constant attack the entire night, giving the team a 13-3 advantage in corner kicks.
The ’Hawks finished the season undefeated with 15-0-4 record. The conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament is given to the winner of the WIAC tournament.
“I’ve reminded the women that we’ve just started a new season,” Quamme said. “We’re going to be playing in new venues and against new teams, but our goals are still the same.”
