Melissa Meadows scored her first career goal with eight minutes left to lift the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point women�s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over UW-Eau Claire and give the Pointers the inside track to their eighth Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in nine years Saturday in Eau Claire.

With the game tied 1-1, Pointers� forward Marie Muhvic took a pass from Mickey Jacob and held the ball patiently at the top of the penalty box. As the Blugolds� defenders converged on Muhvic, she calmly dished the ball to Meadows, who streaked in from her left midfield position to score the game-winner.

Meadows, a freshman transfer from the University of Pacific, has played primarily on defense this season and hadn�t scored a point in the Pointers� first 13 matches.

The Pointers are now 10-4 overall and 6-0 in the WIAC, while UW-Eau Claire fell to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC. UW-Stevens Point needs just one victory in its final two games against UW-La Crosse or UW-Platteville to win the WIAC regular season title and clinch home field for the WIAC tournament Oct. 27-28.

UW-Stevens Point took a 1-0 lead at the 12:52 mark on a breakaway when Jenny Bruce fed Muhvic for a goal. UW-Eau Claire tied the game on a goal by Erica Thompson at the 24 minute mark to tie the game before Meadows� winning score.

Pointers� goalie Abby Rabinovitz made two saves for the victory. UW-Eau Claire�s first half goal snapped Rabinovitz�s scoreless streak at 523 consecutive minutes. The Blugolds� goal also snapped the Pointers� streak of seven straight shutouts over UW-Eau Claire.

The Pointers play again Sunday at St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn.