Box Score La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team captured its fifth Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title (presented by Culver's) with a 3-0 win over UW-Platteville Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Eagles, ranked 11th on this week's United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll, improve to 17-1-1 overall while the Pioneers fall to 10-3-5.
With the win, UWL earns the conference's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. This will be the Eagles' sixth trip to the championships having also qualified in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
Sydney Halstead scored the
game-winning goal.
UWL also secured the WIAC Tournament title in 1996, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
The game was scoreless at halftime Saturday after UWL recorded 11 shots in the first 45:00 while holding UW-Platteville without a shot.
UW-Platteville's Arianna Lombardi missed on a penalty kick at 60:22 after a handball was called on UWL. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead at 62:28 on
Sydney Halstead's goal off assists from
Megan McNeely and
Chelsea Gale. UWL made it 2-0 on
Ellie Arndt's penalty kick after a yellow card on UW-Platteville's Bryanne Pinkowski at 65:02.
Hayley Slaski extended the advantage to 3-0 at 78:38 with assists from
Jillian Sawadski and
Claire Cater.
UWL finished with 34 shots on Saturday, including 17 on goal. Arndt and
Maggie Hernandez each had six shots with three on goal. Cater finished with four shots (two on goal) while Halstead (two) and
Sera Speltz (one) each had three shots. Thirteen players had a shot for the Eagles.
Ellie Arndt gave UWL a 2-0 lead.
Sophia Anger earned the shutout win, finishing with two saves.
It UWL's 14th shutout of the year, tying the single-season school record set in 2017 and 2022.
UW-Platteville totaled two shots, both coming on goal. Madison Way registered 12 saves for the Pioneers. UW-Platteville also had two team saves.
The 64-team field for the NCAA Division III Championships will be announced at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, November 6. First and second round games of the championships will be played on campuses of competing institutions on either Friday-Saturday, November 10-11 or Saturday-Sunday, November 11-12.
