By Justin St. Peter Sept. 3, 2014

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams have a lot to look forward to in the coming season.

After a strong 14-6-1 campaign last season that tied for the third most wins in school history, the Warhawks men’s soccer team fields nine seniors that are poised to make a run at the WIAC title.

The women are coming off a record-breaking season that saw them go 17-1-4 and win their fourth straight title. The No. 19 ranked ’Hawks have been picked to win their fifth conference title in a row by the WIAC coaches and sports information directors.

Women

The ’Hawks return nine starters and are led by five seniors as they attempt to improve upon last year’s historic season.

Two-time reigning WIAC Coach of the Year, Ryan Quamme, raved about his returning players:

“We have a great returning group,” Quamme said. “I think it starts with the five seniors. They have been instrumental as we have changed the culture of our program and developed a winning culture. It’s probably been the best returners I have been a part of in my seven years here at Whitewater.”

The ’Hawks are led by junior All-American midfielder Jenna Woodson, who had a WIAC-leading 10 assists and 16 total points last season.

“She is a tremendous player,” Quamme said. “She is an attacking midfielder that connects, defends to our midfield, and to our forward line. We rely on her to get a lot of touches, so she is a very intelligent soccer player.”

Senior goalkeeper Jordan Myers is a two-time All-WIAC player and was selected to the NSCAA All-North Region team last year. The four-year starter compiled eight shutouts while going 17-1-4 on the season.

Senior midfielders Kaitlyn Fritsch and Sarah Sedlar also return, with Sedlar receiving an All-WIAC and first team All-Region selection last year.

“I think one of the biggest things we have this year is our team depth,” Quamme said. “That is a tremendous tool to have, and it will help us for the next couple weeks and throughout the season.”

The ’Hawks opened up their season with a 0-1 loss against No. 22 Loras on Aug. 29. The ’Hawks had more shots (10-9) and more corner kicks (10-3), but failed to net a goal against the Duhawks.

“It was very intense and physical game,” Myers said. “I think if we met them later in the season, we would be able to beat them.”

The ’Hawks will be at Fiskum Field for six of the first eight games on the schedule and will square off against Concordia 7 p.m. on Sept. 3.

“We want to be able to host the first round of the NCAA and Sweet 16,” Myers said. “I think, as any team would want to do, win the national championship.”

Men

Coach Tony Guinn believes that their season opening 3-0 loss to No. 3 Loras on Aug. 29 benefited the ’Hawks.

“The positive thing about losing to Loras is we switch our system as a result of that game,” Guinn said. “We lost to the No. 3 team in the country out of 420 teams, so it’s not like we played a nobody.”

Guinn threw a curveball at his team before the Aug. 31 Lake Forrest game.

“We just changed some things going into Sunday’s game and basically did a 180 degree change tactically with what we do, who plays where and how we play,” he said. “I went with a system of play that I had been doing for many years that I have never done in Whitewater since I got there.”

With four goals in the first 25 minutes, the team definitely responded.

“Sometimes you have moments in coaching where it couldn’t have worked out any better,” Guinn said. “That Lake Forrest team is a very good team, and they were dumbfounded. They had no answer.”

The ’Hawks secured a commanding 5-3 victory over Lake Forrest. The ’Hawks had four goals in the first 25 minutes.

Junior forward Sam Novak scored a goal, had an assist, and drew a penalty kick that led to a goal by getting the goalie sent off with a red card.

“I had a breakaway, and I tried to juke the goalie,” Novak said. “He took me out. John Gottwald got the penalty and scored it. They were down the whole second half playing with 10 men.”

Guinn says he plans on playing the same system the rest of the season but was very secretive about it.

He would say that the system is very unique and unorthodox, but would go no further, hoping that it would catch other teams off-guard like Lake Forrest.

The ’Hawks will be led by Novak, who is a two-time second team All-WIAC selection and was selected to the third team All-Wisconsin State Men’s Soccer Team.

Senior defender Ryan Reid, who joined Novak on the third team, also returns. The two-time All-WIAC defender scored four goals last year and is joined by fellow senior Kody Mjelde, who led the team in assists, to anchor the defense.

Senior team captain John Gottwald was a first team selection to both the All-WIAC and All-Wisconsin State Men’s Soccer Team. The midfielder had 15 points last year, including 5 game-winning goals.

Senior Josh Rohde will be the last line of defense for his second straight year. The team captain goalkeeper led the WIAC with six shutouts last year and contributed to another.

Guinn said the ’Hawks will have a tough road to the NCAA tournament being an independent team but he believes it is possible.