La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team, ranked 15th on this week's United Soccer Coaches National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Top-25 Poll, earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (Presented by Culver's) Saturday night with a 4-3 shootout victory over UW-Whitewater at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Eagles and Warhawks finished in a 1-1 double overtime tie before UWL earned the shootout victory.
It is UWL's second WIAC Championship title in school history, winning the 1996 crown with a 4-1 victory over UW-Stevens Point. The Eagles were making their fourth appearance in the championship game, including second straight. UW-Whitewater earned a 3-0 win over UWL last season. The Warhawks were playing in their eighth straight league tournament championship game Saturday, winning the title four times (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
With the victory, UWL earns the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Eagles will make their second appearance in school history in the national championships after falling 3-0 to Pomona-Pitzer College (Calif.) in the first round of the 2015 tournament.
The NCAA Division III Championship field will be announced Monday, November 6 at noon.
UW-Whitewater took a 1-0 lead at 31:32 as Karina Rosales scored her fifth goal of the season. UWL forced a 1-1 tie at 38:08 as
Hayley Hargroder scored her third goal of the season.
Rachel Rogahn and
Margaret Harings recorded the assists.
The game remained tied after two overtimes, sending it into a shootout.
Harings missed for UWL on the first attempt and Emily Mouille scored for UW-Whitewater.
Kaitlyn Villars tied the shootout, 1-1, for UWL before Morgan Beaty scored for UW-Whitewater.
Alex Cording tied it at 2-2 for the Eagles and Mackenzie Serbousek missed for the Warhawks in the third round. UWL's
Maya Schmitt and UW-Whitewater's Lauren Otto scored to make it 3-3 going into the final round. The Eagles'
Natalie Herzog scored in fifth round before Rosales hit the cross bar for the Warhawks.
UWL finished with 24 shots Saturday, including 11 on goal. Cording totaled five shots with three on goal. UW-Whitewater totaled 19 shots with seven on goal. Anna Boyd had five shots, including two on goal.
Lily Brock recorded six saves for UWL while Nina Yonan had 10 for UW-Whitewater.
