Box Score La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team claimed a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular-season title after a 1-1 double overtime tie with UW-Oshkosh Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex on Senior Day.
The Eagles finish the regular-season at 12-5-2 overall and 5-1-1 in the WIAC. The Titans finish at 13-3-2 overall and 5-1-1 in WIAC play.
With the tie, the Eagles and Titans each claim a share of the WIAC regular-season title. UWL's crown is its first since 1996, and first for UWL second-year head coach
Jason Murphy.
"It's exciting that we have been able to put together a group that can compete for the conference championship in the last day of the year," said Murphy. "We played pretty well again today. It's a game of one or two opportunities and we feel like we really need to capitalize on those going forward."
The Titans claim the top-seed over the Eagles in the conference championship tournament next week based on a conference tiebreaker of goal differential. UWL will be the second-seed and host a semifinal match Thursday, November 5 at 6 p.m.
All scoring in Saturday's match occurred in the first half. UW-Oshkosh's Rylee Engelland scored at 24:20 to give the Titans the 1-0 lead. Christina Mauthe added the assist.
UWL's
Alex Cording scored her seventh goal of the season at 40:43 to tie the game at 1-1. Maddie Edmark added her sixth assist of the year on the play.
"Alex was great for us today again up top," said Murphy. "She really did a good job of playing back to goal and getting kids turned. Also,
Mary Mansker played as an outside-mid today, and we were pretty happy with how she did. She stepped up for us today."
The match featured 14 fouls on each team, and six yellow cards (two on UWL, four on UW-Oshkosh) as well as a red card against the Titans. UW-Oshkosh played the last 20:26 of regulation an both overtime periods down a player.
"The intensity and meaning of the game, along with the weather and field conditions contributed to that," said Murphy. "Both teams knew what we were playing for, and left everything we had out there."
UWL finished with 16 shots, with just three on goal.
Margaret Harings had six shots, including one on goal. Cording's seventh goal of the year leads the team.
UW-Oshkosh totaled 13 shots, including five on goal. Megan Paulick led the Titans with three shots, including two on goal.
The Eagles'
Kennedy Brault registered four saves in the match. Nina Muzi had two saves for the Titans.
The Eagles now lead the all-time series with the Titans 15-10-3. UW-Oshkosh earned a 1-0 overtime victory last season.
UWL returns to action hosting the semifinals of the WIAC championship Thursday, November 5 at 6 p.m. The Eagles will face the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinal matchups are played Tuesday, November 3.
"It's all the little things now," said Murphy. "It's one clearance that has to be precise, it's knowing when to be a help defender, when to pressure the ball, things like that. We are really going to focus on those little things to get ready for Thursday."
