UW-Whitewater Picked To Win Women’s Soccer Crown
MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the five-time defending league champion, is the preseason choice to secure the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s soccer title, according to the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Warhawks enter the 2015 campaign ranked No. 20 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III preseason rankings and are riding a 29-match WIAC regular-season winning streak. In 2014, UW-Whitewater tallied a school-record 18 victories, including a program-best 15-match winning streak and reached the NCAA Division III Championship for the fourth straight year.
Junior forward Brianna Reid leads a group of eight returning starters. She was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year a season ago after leading the conference with 14 goals and tying for the league high with 31 points. Also back is senior midfielder Jenna Woodson, who claimed the league’s offensive honor in 2013. A year ago, she tied for the conference high with eight assists and added three goals for 14 points. Gone from the 2014 squad is Sarah Sedlar, who claimed WIAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition. UW-Whitewater will play just three of its final 10 matches at home.
The Warhawks are followed in the conference predictions by: UW-Oshkosh; UW-Eau Claire; UW-La Crosse; UW-River Falls; UW-Stout; UW-Stevens Point; and UW-Platteville.
UW-Oshkosh claimed the program’s second WIAC Tournament crown in the last four years a season ago and returns players who scored 17 of its 25 goals. Junior midfielder Robyn Elliott leads a group of six returning starters and has started all 42 matches during her first two seasons, while senior defender Nikki Mann has started 60 of 61 matches in three years. Senior goalkeeper Nina Muzi led the league in goals-against average (.608) and save percentage (.898) for a squad that allowed just 12 goals in 2014. The Titans, who have one losing season since 2000, will play six of their last eight matches at home.
UW-Eau Claire has 15 returning letterwinners, including senior defender Ashley O’Connell, who has started all 58 matches in her career. She could become the third individual in program history to earn All-WIAC first team recognition four times. Sean Yengo is the longest tenured women’s soccer coach in the conference as he enters his 18th season at the helm and owns the second-highest win total in league archives with 228 victories. The Blugolds will celebrate the 10-year anniversary (2005) of their first-ever WIAC title.
UW-La Crosse welcomes back seven starters from the 2014 squad that played in a school record nine overtime matches, breaking the previous mark of six set four different times. Their five overall ties a season ago equaled a program single-season record from 2012, while their three WIAC ties established a school record. Sophomore defender Nicole Blaser started all 18 matches, while sophomore forward Rachel Roghan had a pair of goals and two assists. The Eagles will play four of their first six matches at home.
UW-River Falls owns nine returning starters from last year’s team that reached double digits in wins (12) for the first time since 2010. Sophomore Abby Soderholm finished third in the conference with 10 goals and 24 points, while adding four assists. In 2015, the Falcons will play three of their first nine matches on the road, but finish with seven of their final nine matches at home. Sean McKuras enters his 14th season in charge of program with 123 wins and needs four victories to move into fourth place on the league’s all-time wins list.
UW-Stout returns all but one player who scored at least one goal a year ago, including nine seniors – the most returning seniors in program history. Senior midfielder Jenna Kizlik was third on the team with seven points and could become just the second three-time All-WIAC first team selection in school archives, joining Nellie Sivertsen (1999, 2001, 2002). Head coach Ryan Raufus got to 25 career wins faster than any women’s soccer coach in school history, accomplishing the feat in 53 matches.
Dawn Crow begins her first season at UW-Stevens Point as just the third head coach in program history. She served as the head coach at Duquesne University (Pa.) from 2001-02 and was most recently the head girls’ soccer coach at Plano East (Texas) Senior High School from 2007-13. In four years as a player at the University of North Carolina, her teams went 97-1-1 and won four national championships. The Pointers bring back 18 letterwinners from a season ago, including senior forward Jillian Ross, who led the squad with 12 points on four goals and four assists.
UW-Platteville’s 2015 roster includes 21 underclassmen and only two seniors. Senior forward Julie Divita led the 2014 squad with 14 points and six assists, while junior defender Emily Phillips contributed two goals and two assists. The Pioneers have posted back-to-back nine-win seasons and own 43 victories in the last five years, matching the best stretch in program history.
2015 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
|
2014 Record |
| 1. UW-Whitewater |
18-4 overall, 8-0 WIAC |
| 2. UW-Oshkosh |
12-8-1, 6-2 |
| 3. UW-Eau Claire |
8-10-2, 5-3 |
| 4. UW-La Crosse |
5-8-5, 3-2-3 |
| 5. UW-River Falls |
12-6-3, 4-3-1 |
| 6. UW-Stout |
5-10-3, 3-4-1 |
| 7. UW-Stevens Point |
7-10-1, 2-5-1 |
| 8. UW-Platteville |
9-10, 2-6 |
Team Snippets
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Sean Yengo; 19th season at UWEC; 228-113-35
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 15/11
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Caroline Henderson, Sr., F (2013-First, 2014-First); Ashley O’Connell, Sr., D (2012-First, 2013-First, 2014-First)
UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Jason Murphy; 6th season (2nd at UWL); 46-41-8 (overall) / 5-8-5 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 14/11
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Nicole Blaser, So., D (2014-First)
UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Erin Coppernoll; 16th season (12th at UWO); 144-125-25 (overall) / 120-80-22 (at UWO)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 18/9
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/5
Returning All-WIAC: Rachel Elliott, Jr., F (2014-First); Robyn Elliott, Jr., M (2013-First, 2014-First); Nikki Mann, Sr., D (2014-First); Ashley Siewart, Jr., D (2013-First)
UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Allison Stringer; 5th season at UWP; 32-40-2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 20/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Returning All-WIAC: Julie Divita, Sr., F (2014-First); Emily Phillips, Jr., D (2014-First)
UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Sean McKuras; 14th season at UWRF; 123-108-22
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 15/6
Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Returning All-WIAC: Missy Barnett, Sr., D (2014-First); Abby Soderholm, So., M (2014-First)
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach: Dawn Crow; 1st season at UWSP (3rd overall); 9-24-4 (overall) / 0-0 (at UWSP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 18/3
Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Returning All-WIAC: None
UW-Stout
Head Coach: Ryan Raufus; 5th season at UWST; 30-34-8
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 21/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Returning All-WIAC: Jenna Kizlik, Sr., M (2013-First, 2014-First); Paige Meyer, Sr., GK (2013-First); Vanessa Wrobel, Sr., D (2014-First)
UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Ryan Quamme; 4th season at UWW; 51-10-5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 22/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Returning All-WIAC: Carly Pottle, Sr., F (2014-First); Brianna Reid, Jr., F (2013-First, 2014-First/Offensive Player of the Year); Jenna Woodson, Sr., M (2012-First, 2013-First/Offensive Player of the Year, 2014-First)
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