Sarah Talbert
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Panthers Host Butler In First-Place Showdown Friday
Milwaukee opens season-ending homestand with Bulldogs
This Week in Panther Soccer
Butler (9-6, 4-1) @ #22 Milwaukee
Friday, Oct. 17 • 7 p.m. • Engelmann Field
Gameday Media: Gametracker
• Complete Release in PDF Format 
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Oct. 14, 2008) - The No. 22 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team returns home to kick off a three-game, regular season-ending homestand. The Panthers face just one match this week, hosting Butler in a critical showdown between two of the three teams occupying first place in the Horizon League.
The "Silver" Anniversary
The Panthers are playing their 25th season as a varsity sport. The team will be celebrating the occasion all season long, recognizing outstanding achievements and moments in UWM women's soccer history. The squad will also be wearing special patches commemorating the season.
Pink Out
Friday's match with Butler is part of the first-ever "Pink Out" at UWM. The "Pink Out" is a joint venture between the UWM community and the athletic department to promote breast cancer awareness, celebrate the survivors and support progress toward a cure. Both the women's soccer match Friday and Saturday's volleyball match with Wright State are part of the event, with a free youth clinic each day. The soccer clinic runs from 5:30-6:15 p.m. at Engelmann Field. For more information on the event, or to buy tickets, call the Panther Ticket Office at 414-229-5886.
Getting Noticed
The Panthers matched their highest national ranking ever when the NSCAA poll was released with UWM 22nd. Milwaukee is also 25th in both the Soccer America and Soccer Buzz polls. It's the fourth week the Panthers have been ranked and the eighth they have been receiving votes. In the region, UWM returned to its highest ranking ever, No. 2, a place it held two weeks ago.
Fun With The RPI
The NCAA released its first RPI last week and UWM debuted at No. 34. The Panthers gained that spot thanks in part to seven non-league top-100 opponents, which they boast a 4-1-2 record against. In fact, of the team's 11 non-league opponents, just one is in the bottom half of the 318-team rating system.
A Look At The Opposition - Butler
The Bulldogs have emerged as somewhat of a darkhorse in the league title chase after being picked to finish fourth in the league standings according to the preseason coaches' poll. Butler jumped out to a 3-0 league start before a 1-0 setback against Wright State last Friday. Sunday, though, the Bulldogs handed 4-0 Loyola its first league loss of the season. UCLA transfer Molly Kruger paces the team on offense with eight goals, six assists, 22 points and five game-winning goals. Laura Baker has seen the bulk of time in goal, posting a 9-5 record, 0.64 goals against average and three shutouts.
Series History
Milwaukee has won its last 14 games against Butler and lead the all-time series 17-5-2. But, the series has not been as lopsided as the record indicates, as 10 of the 14-straight Panther wins have been by one goal, including nine 1-0 finishes.
League Chase
For the first time in quite some time, the Panthers are not in a situation where they could just win out and claim the regular season title. As it stands now, UWM is tied atop the league with Loyola and Butler as all three have 4-1 records. Butler helped the Panthers' cause, handing the Ramblers their first league loss Sunday. If Milwaukee can win out, it would claim no worse than a co-championship. But, with Loyola's win over UWM Oct. 3, the Ramblers hold the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed should both teams finish tied for first.
Last Week In Review
Friday - Milwaukee 7, Cleveland State 0
Sarah Hagen scored a pair of goals and Milwaukee took complete control of the match in the first 20 minutes as the 24th-ranked Panthers claimed a 7-0 win over Cleveland State Friday. UWM scored four goals in the first 19:25 and never looked back in tallying its biggest offensive output of the season.
Sunday - Milwaukee 3, Youngstown State 0
Sarah Hagen scored two goals for the second-straight game, including the game-winner, to tie the school goal scoring record and lead the Panthers to a 3-0 win against Youngstown State Sunday. Hagen's two goals brought her season total to 16, which ties the school record Lisa Krzykowski set in 1995 and tied in 1997.
Gonna Need More Than One Shelf
Sarah Hagen was named the Horizon League Player of the Week for this week, her second such honor of the season and the team's third. She previously received the award Aug. 25 and junior Kate Megna did so Sept. 22. Hagen has also been named to three national teams of the week, including the Soccer Buzz National Elite Team of the Week Sept. 1 and Sept. 8. She pulled double-duty Sept. 8, also appearing on Soccer America's team.
Way To Rebound
When UWM lost to Loyola, 1-0, it marked the first time this season the Panthers had been shut out. In fact, the scoreless outing was their first since a 0-0 draw with Iowa Oct. 5. In that time, Milwaukee put together a school-record streak of 21-straight games without being shut out. The Panthers have rebounded with 13 goals in their last three games, including a season-high seven at Cleveland State last Friday. For the season, UWM has reached 40 goals in a season for the first time since 1997 and are averaging 2.50 goals per game. In the nation, the team's goal total is tied for seventh, while its per-game average is tied for 18th.
Efficient Night
Milwaukee had its largest offensive outburst of the season Friday, tallying seven goals and doing so on just 16 shots. Its 43.8 percent shooting for the game was the team's best since scoring on 2-of-3 shots (66.7%) in a 2-2 tie against Mississippi State Sept. 5, 2004. In fact, the Panthers scored on five of 11 shots taken in the first half, five of their first nine shots of the game and had a stretch of seven shots where all five first-half goals came.
...And Fast, Too
UWM scored four goals over a 5:28 span early in the second half, setting a school record for the fastest four goals scored in school history. The previous mark was 6:29 and came in the Panthers' 16-0 win over Western Illinois Sept. 5, 1997. Those four goals came in pairs, with one and two separated by just 41 seconds, the third-fastest back-to-back UWM goals in school history. Two and three were separated by 48 seconds, the fifth-fastest Panther goals.
League Run
The Panthers had their league-record 31-game league unbeaten streak (29-0-2) snapped Oct. 3 at Loyola. That streak became a league record during the 2006 season. The previous record also belonged to Milwaukee, a 21-game (20-0-1) stretch that immediately preceded the current streak. Since the turn of the century, the Panthers are 52-2-3 in league play.
Wasting No Time
With three regular season games remaining, Sarah Hagen has already tied the school record for goals in a season with 16. Lisa Krzykowski had set the school record in 1995 and tied it in 1997. Hagen tallied two goals in each game last weekend, helping her to break the freshman mark of 12 she had tied Oct. 5. She also broke the freshman points mark of 27 and, with 34, she is four points back of the single-season points record.
Freshman Doing Big Things
Hagen's 16 goals put her in a tie for first in the nation in goals scored, while she sits third in points. In per game averages, her totals put her tied for fifth in goals (1.00/g) and 10th in points (2.13/g). As you would expect, she leads the league in both categories. Hagen is looking to become the first freshman to lead the league in both categories since Detroit's Cindy Fix in 1993.
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
Of Milwaukee's 12 wins this season, six have been decided by one of Sarah Hagen's goals. Her six game-winners are a school record, breaking the previous mark of five. Senior Sarah Teegarden was one of four Panthers that had tallied five in a season, doing so in 2006.
Senior Records Watch
Sarah Hagen isn't the only player looking to break records this season. Seniors Sarah Teegarden and Erin Kane are seeing their storied careers wind down and both are on the verge of doing things no other Panthers have ever done. Each a three-year starter, Teegarden is just two starts from tying the school record for career starts (81). Meanwhile, Kane is just one start back. Kane's sights are also set on the league's minutes played record, of which she is just 423:18 back. The senior keeper already holds school and league marks for shutouts and goals against average. She also one win back of 50 for her career.
Home, Sweet Home
The Panthers are 7-0 at home this season and currently own an 18-match home unbeaten streak (15-0-3). They also have a streak of 32-straight regular season home games without a loss (27-0-5). And, if you include post-season contests, the team is still an impressive 30-1-6 at home over its last 37 home matches. Milwaukee is also unbeaten in their last 29 league home matches (28-0-1), dating back to Oct. 11, 1998.
First Place In The Big Ten
Milwaukee's win over Northwestern pushed the Panthers' record against Big Ten opponents to 3-0 this season and extended their unbeaten streak against the conference to seven (5-0-2). Milwaukee is the only non-Big Ten team in the nation with three wins against the conference and is one of five squads to have played three games against Big Ten foes.
State Champs
UWM went undefeated against the other three Division I schools in Wisconsin for the second time in three season and pushed its unbeaten streak against state schools to nine games (8-0-1) with a win over Green Bay Sept. 26. The Panthers have not lost to one of the three other Division I schools in the state since 2005. They went 3-0 in 2006 and last season boasted a 2-0-1 record. UWM owns three-straight wins over UW and five-straight over Green Bay. And, finally, Milwaukee has defeated Marquette in 2006 and 2008, with the two teams tying in 2007.
Helping Hands... Er... Feet
Juniors Erin Kreuser is tied for the team lead with seven assists this season, which has pushed her career total to 15. Her 15 assists are tied for fourth-most in school history. She also holds a school record with seven game-winning assists. Junior Kate Megna is close behind with six assists this season, 14 for her career (t-6th) and six game-winning assists (6th).
Everybody's Helping Out
Kreuser and sophomore Nicole Sperl pace the Panthers with seven assists apiece, which is already tied for eighth-most in a season in school history. With another player back at six assists and two more with four, the team has already accumulated 38 assists this season, which is tied for third-most in school history and two back of second. Also, the last time Milwaukee featured two players with at least seven assists was 1996, while the program has never had three.
Like All Good Things...
Sarah Hagen scored at least one goal in each of her first seven collegiate games. Ignoring the fact that she is did that as a freshman, or in her first games as a collegian, she established a school record for consecutive games with a goal. Sept. 5 she surpassed Betsy Ribares' school record of four-straight with her fifth. Her streak is also second in school history for consecutive games with a point.
M-V-P ... M-V-P ... M-V-P
Kate Megna was named the Offensive MVP at the Minnesota Gold Classic, the team's second tourney MVP this season. Sarah Hagen earned MVP honors at the Milwaukee Cup to start the season. Both players also earned all-tournament honors at each tournament, as has senior Sarah Teegarden. Freshman Keara Thompson rounded out the Milwaukee Cup representatives, while freshman Mary Wandolowski was also honored in Minnesota.
Overtime Warriors
Milwaukee did not play a single overtime match over the first six games of the season, only to play three in its next four contests. The Panthers tied New Mexico Sept. 12 to equal the NCAA record for consecutive overtime games without a loss. UWM had not lost an overtime match since Sept. 12, 2004, a span of 24 games (10-0-14). According to research by the Bradley University sports information office, the Panthers tied its men's team's streak from 2000-06. The streak then came to an end two days later against UNLV. Senior Erin Kane played a huge part in that record, not conceding a goal in overtime over the first 326:37 of overtime play in her career before Sept. 14. Of her 40 career shutouts, 15 have included some overtime.
Soccer Captain
With three wins the week of Sept. 3-7, head coach Michael Moynihan became the winningest soccer coach in UWM history. He surpassed Louis Bennett with his 137th career win that Friday and picked up No. 138 on that Sunday. Bennett coached the men's team from 1996-05. He and Moynihan, who is now up to 141 career coaching wins, are two of the four coaches to eclipse 100 career soccer coaching wins in school history.
We Are The Champions
Earlier this season, the Panthers claimed their second-straight Milwauee Cup title. They defeated Ohio State 4-3 on Aug. 27 and Samford 4-2 on Aug. 29 to claim the title. For the third-straight year, co-hosts UWM and Marquette each went 2-0, but this is the second in a row the Panthers claimed the title on the goals scored tiebreaker.
Prognosticators Pick Panthers
For the ninth consecutive year, Milwaukee was picked to win the Horizon League in the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Panthers garnered seven first place votes and tallied 63 points. Loyola, which finished second to UWM last season, was picked second with two first-place nods and 58 total points. Milwaukee has won the last eight league regular season crowns.
Streaking
The Panthers enter the 2008 season having won the last eight Horizon League regular season titles. The streak is the second-longest in the nation, behind only Penn State's streak of 10 Big Ten titles.
A Few Extra Notes
Senior Erin Kane picked up shutout No. 40 Sept. 19 against Boston University. She is the only player in school and league history to crack the 30-shutout mark and reached 40 in just 71 games ... After Ohio State knotted the game at 3-3 on Aug. 27, Nicole Sperl converted the go-ahead goal just 18 seconds later on a penalty kick. It was the third-fastest response goal in school history ... Sarah Hagen was the third Panther freshman to score two goals in her collegiate debut, following Louise Vraney in 2006 and Katie Waltenberger in 1997. This season also marked the third-straight season-opener in which a freshman scored, including Sarah Talbert's first career goal last season ... Vraney has scored on the opening day of each of her three seasons, including Aug. 22 against Wisconsin. No other player in team history has scored on an opening day more than once.
Megna's Memoirs Part Deux
Junior Kate Megna is once again providing her take on the Panthers' season as it goes on, via an online blog at uwmpanthers.com. At the start of every week, Megna looks back on the weekend of action and shares the inside story of the Milwaukee women's soccer team. Visit uwmpanthers.com for the latest installment, which is posted on Monday afternoons. Fans can also follow along with all of UWM's sports at the Verizon Wireless Panther Blogzone. The Blogzone is the perfect place to get a little extra information on your favorite Panther teams.
Next Up
The Panthers' close out the regular season with one last home weekend Oct. 24-26. UWM hosts Detroit on Friday, while Valparaiso comes to Engelmann Field Sunday. The league tournament gets underway with a first round game Oct. 29 and the quarterfinals Nov. 2.
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