April 23, 2002

Milwaukee - The UWM women's soccer team posted three shutouts over the weekend in a spring tournament hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Scrimmaging with 35-minute halves, the Panthers tied both Miami (Ohio) and Purdue, 0-0, and defeated Valparaiso, 2-0.

Milwaukee first played Miami (Ohio), a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season after defeating West Virginia, 1-0. The Red Hawks finished the season ranked No. 7 in the Great Lakes region, just ahead of Marquette, Illinois and Purdue.

"It was a well-played game, as our team continued to show improvements in our possession" UWM coach Michael Moynihan said. "We dominated most of the match, frustrating Miami defensively and building some excellent attacks with quick, controlled ball movement."

Though the Panthers controlled most of the match, Miami broke through late in the game with a breakaway to goal. Junior goalkeeper Mary Duffy made an excellent 1v1 save to preserve the shutout.

Sophomore forward Lisa Bengtsson scored both goals in the second game against Valparaiso. Her first goal came on a set piece when freshman Nicole Motl drove a free kick wide. Bengtsson outjumped a defender to drive the ball past the goalkeeper for the gamewinner. Her second goal came off an assist from junior Amy Oechsner, who split the defense with a pass for Bengtsson to run on to. Bengtsson tucked the ball in the corner to take the 2-0 lead.

With only 20 minutes between games, UWM's third consecutive game came against Purdue. The Panthers managed to withstand pressure from the Boilermakers and record their third shutout. Purdue dominated much of the play, but was unable to crack Milwaukee's staunch defense that included Maggie Suminski and Jeney Walter. Duffy and sophomore goalkeeper Kerri St. Aubin both made key 1v1 saves in the game, while UWM's defense was able to force most of Purdue's attacks wide of the target.

"While playing our third game in a row showed its effects, we once again showed moments of brilliant possession and composure," Moynihan said. "Several good scoring opportunities were mounted, though we were unable to capitalize on them. Purdue is a very athletic and strong team, but we managed to frustrate them defensively and also produce several good countering opportunities."

Overall, the Panthers showed impressive performances while playing without Carrie Durand, Katie Kubacki, Sara Lewis, Megan Watermolen and Amber Jelinek.

"We continue to make strides this spring and continue to move in the right direction," Moynihan said. "The upcoming games on Saturday should be quite entertaining and a good challenge for us as we finish up the spring season."

The Panthers take on UW-Green Bay and host Marquette this Saturday, April 27, at Valley Fields. UWM takes on the Phoenix at 2:40 p.m. and the Golden Eagles at 6:10 p.m.