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Soccer Team
Avenges Loss to UW-La Crosse
Box Score
UW-Stevens Point made up for its only regular season loss in its
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history in a big way on
Friday by routing UW-La Crosse 5-0 in a WIAC tournament semifinal match in
River Falls.
With the victory, the Pointers keep their perfect record intact of
having reached the finals of all 12 WIAC tournaments. They will face
UW-River Falls on Saturday at 1 p.m. in search of their seventh straight
tournament title and berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. The
Falcons beat UW-Oshkosh 1-0 in the other semifinal.
UW-Stevens Point led UW-La Crosse 1-0 at halftime before a
four-goal onslaught in the second half. The Pointers finished with an
overwhelming 29-3 advantage in shots, including 15-1 in the second half
while holding UW-La Crosse without a shot on goal. The Eagles handed the
Pointers� their first-ever WIAC regular season loss nearly two weeks ago
with a 2-1 overtime win on Oct. 25.
�The focus changes so much after a loss,� Pointers� coach
Sheila Miech said. �Practices are much crisper and we�re so much more
ready to play. Today was definitely one of our best matches of the
season.�
UW-Stevens Point didn�t take long to get on the board as Kelly
Fink took a shot that bounced off the post to Melissa Becker, who blasted
a shot from eight yards out for a 1-0 lead 13:12 into the match.
The Pointers scored just six minutes into the second half when
Andrea Oswald sent in a long cross that Kim Reese headed to Jenny Bruce
for a 2-0 lead.
�I�ve always said that I want us to be playing our best at the
end of the year,� Miech said. �Today we were really on top of our game
and we�re starting to play well at the right time.�
UW-Stevens Point put the match away with three goals in the final
21 minutes of the match. Reese scored when Oswald took a short corner kick
and Abbey Kirchdoerfer sent a shot in the box that Reese deflected past
Eagles� keeper Stephanie Harbaugh.
The Pointers made it 4-0 when Becker scooped up a loose ball in
front of the net and tapped the ball in for her second score. Fink had the
final tally for the Pointers when she rebounded a shot that Harbaugh saved
off Anna Van Stippen.
UW-Stevens Point now faces a UW-River Falls team that it beat 5-0
back on Sept. 22. The Falcons bring a nine-game winning streak into the
match and also played UW-Stevens Point in the 1997 finals that the
Pointers won 1-0.
�This is such an experienced group of players,� Miech said of
her team that improved to 31-1 all-time in conference tournament matches.
�We have great leadership and have been through this before. They�ll
be ready for tomorrow.� |
