Erin Kreuser
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Panthers To Face Michigan In NCAA Tournament First Round
Milwaukee is making fifth NCAA Tournament appearance
• NCAA Tournament First/Second Round •
Friday, Nov. 10 (South Bend, Ind.)
Michigan v. Milwaukee • 4 p.m. cst
Oakland @ #1 Notre Dame • 6:30 p.m. cst
Sunday, Nov. 12 (South Bend, Ind.)
First Round Winners • Noon cst
• Complete Release in PDF Format
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 9, 2006) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team makes its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, and fourth in six years, this weekend when it takes on Michigan Friday, Nov. 10, in South Bend, Ind. The Panthers and Wolverines kick off at 4 p.m. central time and will be followed by Oakland vs. No. 1 Notre Dame. First round winners will meet Sunday at noon.
Gametracker: Live stats for Milwaukee's NCAA Tournament matches will be available at uwmpanthers.com or by visiting und.com.
How We Got Here
Despite being upset in the Horizon League semifinals, Milwaukee received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on the strength of its 16-3-1 record. The Panthers have wins over Marquette, another NCAA Tournament team, and Missouri, ranked 16th at the time. They also played 2006 tournament teams close in a scoreless draw with Kentucky and a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Portland. UWM is 2-1-1 against teams from this year's tournament field, also defeating Loyola, the Horizon League's automatic qualifier, earlier this year.
Panthers At-Large
The at-large bid is the first in program history for the Panthers, while a handful of UWM squads in other sports have earned at-large berths. Volleyball played their way into the 1999 and 2000 tournaments before men's soccer earned its first at-large berth in 2001. The University has also accounted for the Horizon League's first at-large bids in each sport, including this year's women's soccer berth.
About Michigan
The Wolverines also earned an at-large berth after making it to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan went 4-3-3 in the regular season and, as the sixth seed, upset Indiana 2-1 in the quarters on a Hoosier own goal. It then fell to eventual champ Penn State. UM has scored and allowed 20 goals on the year on the way to a 9-7-5 overall record. Melissa Dobyn leads the team with 14 points, including a team-best six assists, and Judy Coffman is second with 13 points, scoring a team-high five goals. Megan Tuura has played almost 1700 minutes in goal for the Wolverines, posting a 0.64 goals against average and notching six shutouts.
A Look At The Other Matchup
Should the Panthers move past Michigan, they would play the winner of Notre Dame/Oakland. The host Irish are tied for No. 1 in the latest NSCAA national poll and won both the Big East regular season and tournament titles. They boast a near-perfect 20-0-1 record, with their only blemish a 0-0 tie with Connecticut, and are among the nation's leaders in goals per game and goals against average. Oakland, on the other hand, punched its ticket for the tournament by winning the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament. Despite an 8-10-1 record, the Grizzlies earned the second seed in the tourney with a 4-2 mark. They topped Southern Utah in the conference semifinals, 3-1, and later outlasted Western Illinois on penalty kicks in the Mid-Con title game.
Series Histories
Milwaukee is familiar with each of the teams in South Bend this weekend. It's 0-1 all-time against Michigan, falling 3-2 on the road during the 2000 season. The Panthers are also 1-3 against Notre Dame, a team they have not faced since 1993, and 2-3 against Oakland. They are also 1-1 against the Big Ten this season (L, 2-0 @ Indiana/W, 1-0 v. Wisconsin) and 1-0 against the Big East (W, 2-0 @ Marquette). Milwaukee has not faced a team from the Mid-Con since facing the Grizzlies in 2003.
Been Here Before
UWM is making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in six seasons. The team first made the post-season in 1997, falling at No. 11 Minnesota 2-1. The Panthers then made back-to-back tourney trips in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, they fell to Dartmouth, 1-0, in two overtimes, before falling in 2002 to No. 5 Pepperdine, 2-0. Last season, Milwaukee advanced to the second round for the first time, edging Purdue in a penalty kick shootout following a 0-0 tie. UWM then fell to Marquette on a goal with just 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Horizon League Tournament Recap
Owning the top seed in this year's league tournament, the Panthers rolled through the quarterfinal round with a 4-1 win over eighth-seeded Cleveland State. They then were upset on a late goal in the semifinals in falling to No. 4 Detroit. Three players were named to the all-tournament team in juniors Ginny Graczyk and Amanda Winn and freshman Erin Kreuser.
Streak Buster
UWM's semifinal loss to Detroit ended a handful of school-record streaks, most notably its 11-game winning streak. The Panthers also had not lost in 13 games (12-0-1), which had tied another school mark. Milwaukee also had not lost at home in 17 games (16-0-1), while having last lost to a league team at home in 1998--a span of 26 games (25-0-1).
That's Smarts
Juniors Ginny Graczyk and Joanna Severson were honored last week not just for their athletic feats, but for their feats in the classroom, as well. Both players were named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District First Team as voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Graczyk and Severson have each started every game this season for Milwaukee's nationally-ranked defense. Graczyk is a health sciences/psychology major boasting a 3.874 grade point average, while Severson has maintained a 3.938 GPA as an accounting/finance major.
Records, Like Leaves In Autumn, Must Fall
This fall the Panthers have taken a pen to their record books, setting a number of school records. They've won 16 games, eclipsing the 15 won in 2001, and posted 15 shutouts, surpassing the old record of 13 set twice. UWM has also set a school record with 11-straight wins (Sept. 17-Oct. 28) and tied records with a 13-game unbeaten streak (Sept. 12-Oct. 28) and six-straight shutouts (Oct. 6-22).
More Records To Come
Milwaukee is also on pace to set school records for winning percentage, goals against average and fewest goals allowed. UWM has won 82.5 percent of its matches this season, ahead of the record of 75.0 (2001, 1997). It's GAA also sits at 0.439, well ahead of 1997's record mark of 0.55.
Eight Is Enough
When the league announced its post-season awards Oct. 27, eight Panthers earned honors, including a league-best six on all-league teams. Junior Ginny Graczyk and sophomores Sarah Teegarden and Erin Kane each repeated on the all-league first team. The trio are the only three players in school history to earn first-team awards in each of their first two or, in Graczyk's case, three seasons. Junior Amanda Winn repeated her second-team performance of 2005 and was joined by senior Taylor Powell and freshman Louise Vraney. Vraney, meanwhile, was also an all-newcomer selection alongside freshmen Kate Megna and Erin Kreuser.
Fast Facts
• MILWAUKEE... tied a school record by going 7-1 at home ... is playing an NCAA Tournament match outside of the city of Milwaukee for the first time since 1997 ... is unbeaten in its last 16 overtime games, winning eight and playing to eight ties, since 2004.
• Senior Taylor Powell will play in her 84th career match Friday, tying the school record set by Maggie Suminski (1999-02).
Sweeping The State
The Panthers' win over Wisconsin Oct. 22 sealed a state-wide sweep for UWM. They had previously topped Marquette 2-0 and UW-Green Bay 3-2. It is the first time Milwaukee has swept the other three Division I state schools. In fact, there have been just five sweeps, including two by Wisconsin (2003 and 2004) and Marquette (2000 and 2001).
Teegs Is Clutch...
Sophomore Sarah Teegarden picked up the game-winner in three-straight matches earlier this season (Oct. 15-22) and now has five on the year. She became the first Panther with winners in three-straight matches and tied the school record for winners in a season. In fact, all of her goals this season have decided the match for UWM. For her career, she has scored 10 times, with seven providing the difference for UWM. Her seven game-winners are tied for third-most in school history. Also, this is the second year in a row she has scored the game-winning goal to clinch at least a share of the league title for Milwaukee, doing so against Butler Oct. 15 and last season in a 2-1, come-from-behind, win at Detroit. Also, after her three-game streak of game-winners, she assisted on the deciding goal in UWM's quarterfinal win against Cleveland State.
... And Now Everyone Knows It
Teegarden scored a number of honors after an outstanding week of play Oct. 16-22. First, she was named the Horizon League Player of the Week. Then she was named to both Soccer America and Soccer Buzz's National Teams of the Week. She was the second Panther this season to make Soccer Buzz's team (Amanda Winn, Sept. 17) and the fourth in school history. She is also just the second UWM player ever to make Soccer America's squad (Ginny Graczyk, 2003).
Nice Company
Milwaukee won its seventh-straight Horizon League Championship with a perfect 7-0 league mark this season. That extends a streak that is the second-longest in the country. The only Division I school with a longer streak of regular season titles is Penn State, which won its ninth-straight Big Ten championship this season. North Carolina is third with six-straight titles in the ACC.
Statistic Status
The Panthers continue to sit near the top nationally in a number of defensive categories. Milwaukee has combined to post a school-record 15 shutouts in 20 matches this season, putting the team tied for fourth in the nation with a 0.75 shutout percentage. The Panthers are also sixth with a 0.439 GAA and seventh with a .825 winning percentage. Sophomore Erin Kane is also ranked, sitting 12th in GAA (0.490).
Wasting No Time
In just her 30th career match Oct. 1, Erin Kane picked up her school-record 20th career shutout. She eclipsed the career totals of Kerri St. Aubin (2000-04) and Kathy Hoverman (1995-98). She has since claimed numbers 21-25, breaking the league's career mark of 24 set by Detroit's Alisson Dube (2001-04) in her 37th game. After a school and league-record 13 last season, Kane has tallied 12 in 2006. Over her last 31 matches, she is 23-4-4 with a 0.37 GAA and 22 shutouts. She also picked up her first career assist Sept. 17 vs. Missouri on the game-winning score, making her the first UWM keeper since Hoverman in 1996 to tally an assist.
One More Note
Outside of UWM, the sophomore keeper has been making her way up more all-time lists. When she surpassed 2,500 minutes for her career against Kentucky, her career GAA qualified for both the NCAA and Horizon League's all-time lists. In NCAA Division I history, she has ascended to eighth all-time (0.541), while she sits atop the league over second-place Jen Renola (0.70, 1993-94) from Notre Dame by almost 0.16 goals per game.
Picked For Repeat
UWM was picked to win the Horizon League in a poll of league coaches, the league office announced Aug. 16. The Panthers received six-of-seven possible first place votes in the poll, conducted among league coaches, to finish with a total of 48 points. Detroit was picked second with 42 points and one first-place vote. It was the seventh-straight season Milwaukee was picked to win and the Panthers have done so each time.
Ranked Foes
UWM's 1-0 win over No. 16 Missouri Sept. 17 was its first win over a ranked opponent since 1998. That season, the Panthers opened the year with a 2-1 overtime win over No. 8 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Milwaukee now has two wins against teams ranked by the National College Soccer Coaches of America (NSCAA) in its Division I history to go with three ties. The shutout was also the second of a ranked team in school history, with the first coming early last season in a 0-0 tie with No. 13 Illinois.
Awards, Awards, Awards
After a 2-0-1 week against teams from BCS conferences (Sept. 11-17), including a win over No. 16 Missouri, a number of Panthers received national and league honors. Erin Kane led the way, being named NSCAA Player of the Week after posting three shutouts. She was also selected the Horizon League Player of the Week, for the first of two times this season, and Soccer Times' honorable mention. Junior Amanda Winn was named to Soccer Buzz's National Elite Team of the Week, the third UWM player in school history to earn the honor. Lastly, junior Ginny Graczyk was named the Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week, an award that encompasses all sports that the league sponsors.
Tourney Time In September
Milwaukee opened its season with three in-season tournaments, taking second place in all three. That included a 2-0 mark in its first weekend at the Milwaukee Cup and 1-1 marks the next two weekends. In total, seven players earned all-tournament honors. Freshman Ilana Bar-Av headed the list of four UWM players named to the all-tournament team at the Milwaukee Cup. She was joined by Louise Vraney, junior Amanda Winn and freshman Erin Kreuser. Juniors Joanna Severson and Ginny Graczyk and senior Taylor Powell were then named to the Hoosier Classic team. There was no all-tournament team at Washington's Husky Invitational.
No Easy Task
In preparing for a run at a seventh-straight Horizon League championship, head coach Michael Moynihan once again set a difficult non-league slate for the Panthers. Highlighting the 2006 schedule was defending national champion Portland (L, 3-2), which entered 2006 ranked No. 1 in the country according to the NSCAA Preseason Poll. UWM has also faced off with Marquette (W, 2-0), an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team from last season, as well as BCS conference foes Washington (W, 2-0), Kentucky (T, 0-0) and No. 16 Missouri (W, 1-0). The Panthers have also played Bowling Green (W, 3-0), which won the Mid-American Conference title and made the NCAA Tournament last season. Milwaukee ended the regular season defeating in-state rival Wisconsin (1-0), another 2005 NCAA Tourney squad.
Back in Black (and Gold)
The Panthers returned seven starters this season from last year's squad that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Junior Ginny Graczyk and sophomores Sarah Teegarden and Erin Kane were each all-league first-team selections in 2005, while junior Amanda Winn returns after a second-team nod. Graczyk was also named to the all-region first team, while both Kane and Teegarden earned Freshman All-America honors last season.
New Face
The Panthers added a new assistant in the off-season in Kristen St. Clair. She came to UWM from UC-Santa Barbara, where she spent two seasons as goalkeeper coach. A four-year All-American at NAIA Westmont College from 1997-00, St. Clair played on one national championship team and coached another during a two-year stint as keeper coach with her alma mater.
Light Up Engelmann
Night soccer came to Engelmann Field in time for the 2006 season. Lights were constructed at the on-campus facility over the summer, allowing for night games to be played this season. The lights were dedicated when the Panther men hosted Marquette in the first official night game Sept. 13. The women played their first night game Oct. 4 against UW-Green Bay and were able to host a league tourney night game Nov. 3.
Up Next
Should the Panthers winning twice this weekend, they would advance to the Sweet 16 to play the winner of games being played at Colorado this weekend. Aside from the Buffaloes, Colorado College, Denver and Kentucky are also playing at that site.
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