When the UW-Whitewater women’s soccer team tied UW-Stout in the WIAC opener and then proceeded to lose at UW-Oshkosh, it seemed like a long shot for the Warhawks to earn a first-round bye in the WIAC tournament.

Until UW-O lost at No. 16 UW-La Crosse, 2-5, and UW-W defeated UW-Stevens Point, 1-0, Oct. 28.

With the UW-W win, the team was able to edge UW-O in total points – 13 for the Warhawks and 12 for the Titans – and therefore earn a first-round bye in the WIAC tournament.

The Warhawks had a successful non-conference season, going 9-1-2 in all of its non-conference battles. During that stretch, UW-W outscored its opponents 30-8, including four 4 goal shutout wins.

The team’s only loss came to then No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis, 1-0, in the last game of the W Challenge Sept. 17 in Whitewater.

UW-W had the aforementioned rocky start to the WIAC season, but eventually got back on track by defeating UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 7.

“It feels amazing,” junior defender Alyssa Lennon said after the game against the Blugolds. “I’m glad that we finally got a win. We just have to keep winning and keep scoring more goals.”

The Warhawks kept winning. After defeating UW-EC, UW-W got two consecutive victories against UW-River Falls and non-conference foe Viterbo University (Wis.)

UW-W suffered a small setback when the team hosted then No. 19 and WIAC leader UW-La Crosse on Oct. 21, losing 2-0 despite having multiple opportunities to score on offense (10 total shots, three of which were SOGs).

Despite the brief stumble, the Warhawks ran the rest of the table to close the regular season, thus getting a second place spot overall in conference and a number two seed for the WIAC tournament.

Perhaps the most emphatic game UW-W won in recent memory came against UW-Platteville Oct. 25, posting eight goals and allowing zero.

As a team, the ’Hawks scored six times in the first half with the other two coming in the second.

Five freshman tallied goals, with two of them – forward Anna Boyd and midfielder Jenel Karow – scoring twice. The other three who scored were midfielder Katy Kusswurm as well as forwards Giana Rogala and Anna Perona.

The Warhawks then, on the road, defeated non-conference opponent Edgewood College, 4-0, Oct. 27, and UW-SP, 1-0, Oct. 28

“Well, they’re almost to the point where in another week they’re not freshmen”, UW-W head coach Ryan Quamme said after the game against UW-P. “This whole freshman class is very talented.”

Talented might be an understatement. Seven freshmen have scored 20 of the team’s 43 goals, 10 of which coming from Anna Boyd.

“As a team, I feel like we’ve been working hard this week finishing our shots,” Boyd said. “To make that happen was a big thing for our team and it’s really exciting.”

As a two seed, the Warhawks will host a WIAC tournament semifinal game at Fiskum Field on Nov. 2, depending on the results from the first round games Oct. 31. UW-W will battle the highest remaining seed out of the games that will occur on Halloween.

The ’Hawks have won the last two WIAC tournaments, and four of the last five.