Oct. 5, 2003

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - Perseverance has been the name of the game for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team lately. The Panthers, who started the season at 0-5-1, defeated Loyola University 2-0 in workmanlike fashion here Sunday (Oct. 5) to win for the fifth consecutive time while evening their season record to 5-5-1 overall and 3-0 in Horizon League play. Loyola, who came into the game with a .500 record on the season, fell to 5-6-0 and 1-2-0 in league action.

"It was a good result overall and it's nice to get a shutout in the league," UWM head coach Michael Moynihan. "I don't think it was necessarily the best game we've played all year but it's a win and we will take it."

Milwaukee controlled every portion of the match versus the visitors from Chicago yet could not dent the scoreboard in the early going. Both teams appeared to be playing a bit tentatively, with UWM leading the game statistically. The Panthers posted four shots in the scoreless first half while allowing just one shot from the Ramblers. Taylor Powell nearly gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead but her shot in the 25th minute was saved on the goal line by a Loyola defender. UWM keeper Kerri St. Aubin played the first 45 minutes of the game and did not have to stop a shot in the frame.

Coach Moynihan mixed his lineup up a bit to start the second half and the change seemed to rejuvinate the Panther attack. UWM pressed forward aggressively early in the second frame, thanks in large part to the play of reserves Sara Lewis, Maria Iaizzo, and Nicole Motl. Motl's aggressive play helped win the ball in the midfield while Lewis worked with Iaizzo to produce numerous scoring chances.

After narrowly missing on her first two shots of the game, Lewis eventually found the back of the net for her first goal of the year while giving UWM a 1-0 lead at the 58:22 mark. The junior took a nice feed from Brenda Neigbauer, took two dribbles to her left, and drilled a left-footed shot past LU keeper Emily Feick. The goal was the first in two seasons for Lewis while the assist marks the first point of Neigbauer's career.

"I think we had some hungry players come off the bench and they forced the issue quite a bit in the second half," Moynihan said. "In the second half we were really aggressive defensively while we were much more assertive offensively creating chances, winning balls, and threatening their goal. Sara and Maria did a great job creating dangerous chances in front of the net."

The continued offensive pressure led to a second UWM goal in the 80th minute, this time with Elizabeth Chudy the beneficiary. Milwaukee took control of the ball in the Loyola half of the field and played a ball to Lisa Bengtsson on the right flank. Bengtsson then played a long pass across the field to Chudy, who collected and rifled an eight-yard shot into the back of the net. UWM ended up taking 12 shots on the match while holding the Ramblers to two. The shutout was the second consecutive one for Milwaukee and the fourth of the season overall.

The Panthers will hit the road next week for a pair of contests in Michigan. UWM will face Horizon League foe Detroit on Friday (Oct. 10) before staying in the area to play Oakland in a non-conference showdown on Sunday (Oct. 12).