La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team captured its seventh Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title (Presented by Culver's), including fourth straight, with a 2-0 win over UW-Platteville Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
The Eagles, ranked third on this week's United Soccer Coaches Region IX Poll, improve to 18-2-1 overall while the Pioneers fall to 8-6-6.
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' eighth (2015, 2017-18, 2021-25) trip to the championships, including fifth straight.
Sera Speltz scored the game-winning goal Sunday.
UWL also secured the WIAC Tournament title in 1996, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Eagles are the first team to win four consecutive tournament championships since UW-Stevens Point won eight straight from 1997-2004.
Sera Speltz gave UWL a 1-0 lead on Sunday at 33:35 off
Monica Wawrzyn's assist. The lead remained, 1-0, at halftime.
UWL had nine shots and five corner kicks in the first half while UW-Platteville totaled seven shots and two corner kicks.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead at 81:38 on
Ella Opie's goal and
Jillian Sawadski's assist. The Pioneers had three shots in the next 1:50, including two on goal, but failed to score as
Summer Nicolai recorded a pair of saves. UW-Platteville was held without a shot in the final 6:52.
UWL finished with 16 shots, including eight on goal.
Aubree Caya led the Eagles with six shots with three on goal while Speltz totaled five shots with three on goal. Sawadski recorded her 12th assist of the season, tied for second in school history.
Kaitlyn Villars holds the UWL record with 13 in 2018 while
Jennifer Tischaefer is tied for second with Sawadski after finishing with 12 assists in 1996 and 1997. UWL finished with seven corner kicks in Sunday's game.
Nicolai earned the win, recording seven saves.
UW-Platteville totaled 14 shots with seven on goal. Emma Verdon, Izzy Streeter and Amanda Dietz each had two shots with one on goal. The Pioneers also finished with seven corner kicks.
Ella Opie gave UWL a 2-0 lead in Sunday's win.
Marguerite Mueller suffered the loss, registering six saves while allowing two goals.
It marks the third straight season UWL has defeated UW-Platteville in the tournament championship game after earning a 3-0 victory in 2023 and a 2-1 win in 2024. The Eagles are now 4-0 all-time versus the Pioneers in the WIAC Tournament with a 6-0 victory in the 1993 quarterfinals.
UWL recorded its 14th shutout of the season on Sunday, tied for second-most in school history. The Eagles also had 14 shutouts in 2017 and 2022. The school record of 16 shutouts was set in 2023.
The Eagles' 18 wins this year are tied for fourth in single-season school history. UWL won a school record 21 games in 2022. The Eagles had 20 victories in 2017 and 2023 and 18 in 2018.
The 64-team field for the NCAA Division III Championships will be announced at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 10. First and second round games of the championships will be played on campuses of competing institutions on either Friday-Saturday, November 14-15 or Saturday-Sunday, November 15-16.
