La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team earned a 2-0 win over UW-Whitewater in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship semifinal (presented by Culver's) Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Eagles, ranked 23rd on this week's United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll, improve to 16-2-2 overall while the Warhawks finish their season at 10-10-1.
UWL advances to its fifth WIAC championship game and will host UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, November 3 at 6 p.m. The winner of the championship earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. UW-Eau Claire advanced to the title game with 5-4 shootout win at UW-Stevens Point Thursday afternoon after a 0-0 double overtime tie.
UWL, making its 25th all-time appearance in the WIAC Championships, is now 14-22-2 all-time in conference tournament play. The Eagles won the tournament title in 1996 with a 4-1 victory over UW-Stevens Point and in 2017 with a 4-3 shootout win over UW-Whitewater. The Eagles and Warhawks finished in a 1-1 double overtime tie in the championship game a year ago.
Maya Schmitt scored on a penalty kick in Thursday's second half.
UWL has advanced to the championship match on two other occasions, losing 1-0 in overtime to UW-Stevens Point in 1999 and 3-0 at UW-Whitewater in 2016. UW-Whitewater was looking for its ninth straight WIAC championship game appearance. UW-Whitewater now leads UWL, 4-3-2, in the WIAC Tournament.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead Thursday night at 27:36 with
Alex Cording getting her sixth goal of the season. UWL led 1-0 at halftime, outshooting UW-Whitewater, 11-3.
Maya Schmitt made it 2-0 at 66:38 on a penalty kick, her seventh goal of the year.
UWL totaled 18 shots in the game, including eight on goal.
Margaret Harings had seven shots with one on goal while Cording finished with three shots, including two on goal. UW-Whitewater was held to four shots in the game, including none on goal. Anna Boyd had two shots for the Warhawks.
Lily Brock earned the shutout in goal for UWL, the Eagles' 10th this year. The 10 shutouts are tied or second in single-season school history (1995, 2010, 2016). UWL had a school record 14 shutouts last year. The Eagles have recorded seven straight shutouts (6-0-1) while not allowing a goal in 652:34.
Nina Yonan recorded six saves for UW-Whitewater.
