Nov. 8, 2003

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - The 2003 Horizon League Tournament was just what the doctor ordered for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team. The No. 1 seeded Panthers scored three second half goal en route to a 4-0 quarterfinal win over the tourney's No. 8 seed, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The win not only helped UWM erase the bad taste of a regular season-ending 2-1 loss to Marquette, but it also propelled the home team to the league semifinals. Milwaukee improves to 13-5-1 on the year while the Phoenix end their season with a 3-13-1 record.

"We looked efficient and we were really clicking on all cylinders, especially in the second half," UWM head coach Louis Bennett said. "We created quite a few quality chances and we finished three of those chances in the second half. Chris Brisson did a nice job in the midfield and Billy Meier was solid playing all 90 minutes on defense."

Milwaukee controlled the game from the beginning, but could not find the net in the early going. The Panthers created scoring chance after scoring chance but UWGB keeper Pat Czuprynski made numerous saves to keep the Phoenix in the game. The Panthers eventually dented the scoreboard, however, in the 26th minute when Neil Dombrowski scored the eventual game-winner. Dombrowski corraled a ball which hammered the crossbar, and beat Czuprynski for his second goal of the season.

UWM came out firing early and often in the second half with 2003 First-Team All-Horizon League performer Antou Jallow reaping the benefits. Jallow scored his seventh goal of the year just 2:56 into the second half when he collected a Tighe Dombrowski pass and beat Czuprynski for a 2-0 lead. Jallow struck again less then four minutes later when he beat three UWGB defenders off the dribble and then slid a shot past the keeper for his team-leading eighth goal of the year. Junior defender Trent Furtsch put the finishing touches on the Panther victory when he scored his first career goal in the 62nd minute. Furtsch headed a ball home at the far post with assists going to Tighe Dombrowski and Bobby Lish.

"We try to focus on creating quality chances and then taking advantage of those chances," noted Bennett. "Today, I think we did that. Antou delivered two goals and Trent did a nice job of finishing his chance. Now we will work hard and await the semifinals on Friday."

With the UWM victory, the Horizon League semifinals and finals will be held at Engelmann Field starting on Friday (Nov. 14). Friday's first semifinal will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature No. 3 seed Detroit versus the winner of the Butler/Loyola contest while the Panthers will play Wright State, which beat UIC 1-0 in overtime, at 1:30 p.m. The tournament final is set for noon on Sunday (Nov. 16).