UW-Whitewater Picked To Win Women’s Soccer Championship
MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the four-time defending conference champion, is the preseason choice to secure the 2014 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s soccer title, according to the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Warhawks established a program record with 17 victories in 2013 and enter the 2014 campaign ranked No. 19 in a NCAA Division III preseason poll conducted by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Junior Jenna Woodson, the reigning conference Offensive Player of the Year, leads a group of nine returning starters. She led the league with 10 assists in 2013, while sophomore Brianna Reid topped the WIAC with 13 goals and 31 points. Senior Jordan Myers holds the school career record with 22 shutouts.
UW-Whitewater has claimed back-to-back WIAC tournament titles and the 47 wins the last three years is the best three-year stretch in program history. The Warhawks will play seven of their first 10 matches at Fiskum Field.
UW-Oshkosh is slotted for second in the nine-team league derby and returns 10 of its 12 players who scored a goal in 2013. Senior Amanda Baalke led the team and ranked fourth in the league with 17 points. Senior Anna Beckerleg, the reigning WIAC Defensive Player of the Year, helped the Titan defense allow just five goals during the eight conference matches. The Titans finished second in the WIAC with eight shutouts. UW-Oshkosh opens the 2014 season with only three home matches in its first 11 contests.
UW-Eau Claire’s seven returning starters include the top goal and point scorer in junior Caroline Henderson with 11 goals and 22 points. Her 11 goals ranked second in the WIAC, while the 22 points were fourth. Junior Tara Dennehy was second on the team with nine points. Nina Behrenbrinker graduated after starting 59 matches in goal the last three years. Head coach Sean Yengo ranks second on the conference’s all-time wins list with 220 victories. He has directed the program to at least 10 victories in 13 of his 17 seasons.
UW-Stout returns four of its top six scorers from the 2013 campaign that featured 10 one-goal matches (six wins and four losses). Their four All-WIAC selections last year were the most for the program since 2004. Returnees include sophomore Lauren Kizlik, who was second on the team with five goals and 11 points, and junior Jenna Kizlik, who added six points. The Blue Devils have posted five conference wins twice in the last three seasons - the program high is six, which was set in 2004.
Jason Murphy begins his first season at the helm of UW-La Crosse and is just the third head coach in school history. He served as head coach at Marian University (Wis.) for four years, compiling a 33-12-2 mark in conference matches. Three of UW-La Crosse’s top-five scorers return in 2014, including senior Kelly Denk, who led the team with five goals and placed second with 11 points. She has started 49 of 50 matches in her career. The Eagles will play four of their first six and three of their last five matches at home this year.
UW-Platteville welcomes back seven starters from last year’s group that earned a spot in the WIAC tournament for the first time since 2010. The 2013 squad also established a program record with four conference regular-season victories. Sophomore Yamilex Jaramillo is the top returning scorer with 12 points to her credit a season ago. Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium suffered significant damage following a tornado on June 16, causing the home opener to be delayed.
UW-River Falls returns four of its top-six scorers from 2013, including senior Alex Swatlowski (15 points) and sophomore Nina Abrahamson (13 points). The Falcons have three players on their roster with dual citizenship - Abrahamson (Germany), sophomore Naomi Egger (Switzerland) and freshman Genesis Huete (Nicaragua). Ramer Field is scheduled to have field turf installed this fall, meaning home matches after Oct. 1 should be played on the artificial surface.
UW-Stevens Point has nine starters back from a year ago, including its top-three scorers - junior Sarah Meylor (9 points), junior Emily Dietrich (8 points) and senior Sarah Vitale (6 points). UW-Stevens Point owns 14 conference regular-season crowns and 15 tournament titles. The Pointers have posted double-digit victory totals in 20 of the last 22 seasons, and won at least 11 matches seven of the last eight years. The 2014 schedule features 10 home matches.
UW-Superior has eight starters returning from 2013, however, gone due to graduation is Chelsea Cossin, who led the squad in scoring each of the last three seasons. In 2013, three of the team’s four wins came on the road. For the first time since 2011, the Yellowjackets will play their home matches on campus at the Yellowjacket Sport Complex. The 2014 schedule features five of the first eight matches at home.
2014 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
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2013 Record |
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1. UW-Whitewater |
17-1-4 overall, 8-0 WIAC |
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2. UW-Oshkosh |
11-8-2, 6-2 |
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3. UW-Eau Claire |
8-9-3, 4-3-1 |
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4. UW-Stout |
8-9-2, 5-3 |
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5. UW-La Crosse |
6-11-1, 3-4-1 |
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6. UW-Platteville |
9-9-1, 4-3-1 |
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7. UW-River Falls |
6-11-1, 2-5-1 |
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8. UW-Stevens Point |
4-12-2, 2-6 |
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9. UW-Superior |
4-15-1, 0-8 |
Team Tidbits
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Sean Yengo; 18th season at UWEC; 220-103-33
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 14/15
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Caroline Henderson, Jr., F (2013-First); Ashley O’Connell, Jr., D (2012-First, 2013-First)
UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Jason Murphy; 5th season (1st at UWL); 41-33-3 / 0-0-0 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/6
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Kelly Denk, Sr., M (2013-First)
UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Erin Coppernoll; 15th season (11th at UWO); 132-117-24 (overall) / 108-72-21 (at UWO)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 19/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Returning All-WIAC: Anna Beckerleg, Sr., D (2013-Defensive Player of the Year); Amanda Baalke, Sr., F (2013-First); Robyn Elliott, So., M (2013-First); Nicole Palmquist, Sr., D (2012-First); Ashley Siewert, Jr., D (2013-First)
UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Allison Stringer; 4th season at UWP; 23-30-2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/7
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: None
UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Sean McKuras; 13th season at UWRF; 111-102-19
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 16/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Returning All-WIAC: None
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach: Megan Schmidt; 3rd season at UWSP; 17-18-3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 20/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Returning All-WIAC: None
UW-Stout
Head Coach: Ryan Raufus; 4th season at UWST; 25-24-5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 19/7
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Jenna Kizlik, Jr., M (2013-First); Lauren Kizlik, So., F (2013-First); Paige Meyer, Jr., GK (2013-First)
UW-Superior
Head Coach: TBA
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/7
Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Returning All-WIAC: None
UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Ryan Quamme; 3rd season at UWW; 33-6-5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 21/8
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Returning All-WIAC: Kelsey Beld, Sr., D (2013-First); Jordan Myers, Sr., GK (2012-First, 2013-First); Brianna Reid, So., F (2013-First); Sarah Sedlar, Sr., M (2012-First, 2013-First); Jenna Woodson, Jr., M (2012-First, 2013-Offensive Player of the Year)
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