Panthers Prep For Horizon League ShowdownsComplete Release in PDF Format
Oct. 7, 2003 MILWAUKEE - Panthers End Big Week On Positive Note It was an emotional week for the University of Wisconsin-MIlwaukee men's soccer team. Things started out tough for the Panthers as they dropped an emotion-filled, hard fought game to rival Wisconsin on Wednesday in front of 2,138 fans. However, the sour taste turned sweet just four days later when UWM went on the road to defeat No. 21 Akron, 2-1, on Sunday in dramatic fashion. The Panthers currently sit at 8-4 on the season but remain a perfect 2-0 in the Horizon League. First Place On The Line For UWM Talk about championship implications. The Panthers, who currently sit in first place in the Horizon League standings at 2-0, will face the only two undefeated teams in the league this week. On Friday in Dayton, Ohio, UWM will face Horizon League co-leader Wright State at 6:00 p.m. before heading to Indianapolis, Ind., to face the 1-0 Butler Bulldogs on Sunday. If the Panthers can sweep the weekend series, they will be the odds on favorite in not only the league regular season race, but in the chance to host the 2003 Horizon League Tournament. Milestone Day For Louis The Countdown is now officially over for Louis Bennett. With Sunday's 2-1 victory over Akron, the eighth-year head man reached the 100-win plateau for both his UWM and overall career. Bennett is currently the second-winningest coach in school-history, trailing Don Harris (109) by nine overall victories. A little more than halfway through his eighth-year on MIlwaukee's east side, Bennett has averaged a little over 12.5 wins per season. Not only are the 12.5 wins per season the best per year totals by a UWM coach, but Bennett's .650 career winning percentage is also tops in Milwaukee men's soccer coaching annals. Do You Believe In Karma? Ok. Maybe not karma, but how about the relationship between the two and the one?? Kudos go out to Associate Head Coach Stan Anderson for finding some unique links to Sunday's game and Louis Bennett's 100 career wins. Bennett's number during his playing days was 21. UWM beat Akron 2-1. Akron was ranked No. 21 in the nation. The Patriotic uniform hanging in the UWM locker room is No. 21. And, lastly, the uniform number worn by Sunday's hero Neil Dombrowski? Yep, you guessed it, 21. The Warren Commission couldn't make this stuff up. Another Ranked Opponent Falls Playing nationally ranked opponents is one thing. Beating them is something entirely different. Well, the 2003 UWM men's soccer team has accomplished both feats this season. UWM opened the first weekend of the season with a 1-0 win over then No. 22 New Mexico and then followed that up with Sunday's 2-1 defeat at No. 21 Akron. The two victories versus ranked opponents are the first by a UWM team during the Louis Bennett era. Panthers Back Among Nation's Elite It sure didn't take long for the UWM men's soccer team to return to the national rankings. The Panthers, fresh off an upset over No. 21 Akron, cracked the National Top 30 on the soccer website collegesoccernews.com this week. The Panthers, who check in at No. 29, have now been ranked five times this season. Milwaukee has also rejoined the NSCAA/Great Lakes Region Top 10 as it checks in at No. 8 in the most recent regional poll. Bitgtime Turnout For Battle Of Wisconsin While the end result may hont have been exactly what the UWM men's soccer team wanted, the event itself was a huge success. During Wednesday's contest versus Wisconsin, the Panthers wore special orange jerseys that were auctioned off after the game. The proceeds, which reached over $2,500.00, will go to the MACC Fund to help fight childhood cancer. Meanwhile, 2,138 fans surrounded Engelmann Field for the showdown, making it the second largest crowd in Engelmann history. Only the 2,250 fans that witnessed UWM vs. Evansville on Sept. 3, 1990 surpassed Wednesday's total. Younger Dombrowski Delivers In The Clutch Neil Dombrowski sure picked the right time to score his first goal of the season. The sophomore, and younger brother of senior Tighe Dombrowski, notched the game-winning goal on Sunday and did so in dramatic fashion. The West Allis, Wis. native took a Craig Mallace pass, snuck in behind the defense, and scored the match-winner with just 33 seconds left on the clock. The goal was the sixth of Dombrowski's career and second game-winner. Panthers Expected To Top The Horizon Following back-to-back Horizon League regular season championships, it should come as no surprise that the UWM men's soccer team was picked to win the 2003 title in unanimous fashion. The Panthers received all of the possible first-place votes for 49 total points. UIC was picked for second with 36 points while Butler was slotted for third with 35 points. The 2003 preseason Horizon League poll is as follows (first place votes in parentheses).
School 2002 Record Points
1 Milwaukee (7) 19-2-1 49
2 UIC 10-8-2 36
3 Butler 9-10-3 35
4 Wright State 8-10-1 30
5 Cleveland State (1) 10-11-0 29
6 Detroit 11-6-3 24
7 Loyola 3-16-0 13
8 UW-Green Bay 3-14-0 8
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