Sept. 21, 2004

Box Score

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - After surrendering an early goal, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team scored a pair of unanswered goals to defeat the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2-1, in a physical Horizon League opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon at Engelmann Field. The game featured 42 fouls, with 28 in the first half, and four yellow cards as the Panthers (3-6-1, 1-0 Horizon) avenged their loss to the Phoenix (2-4-1, 0-1 Horizon) last year which snapped a 21-game unbeaten streak in league play.

"(Last year's loss) was obviously in our memories," head coach Michael Moynihan said. "It was a good way to start the conference season--with a win. Green Bay is a team that is going to contend for the championship, so to beat them early on is good for us."

Sophomore Stacey Faude capped the scoring with her first collegiate goal, the game-winner, from six yards out. Senior Melissa Ricter began the scoring play with a throw-in just two yards off the end line. Her toss went to sophomore Taylor Powell, who headed it to Faude for an open close-range shot in the 54th minute.

Despite falling behind early, 1-0, the Panthers controlled the tempo for much of the first half, outshooting UWGB 13-5 and forcing four corner kicks. The frame also featured 16 Phoenix fouls, 12 by Milwaukee and a yellow card issued to both teams. Each side also had a goal called back in the period by offside calls.

"I was dissappointed in the way we came out," Moynihan said. "The goal we gave up was soft and it was a lack of awareness and initiative by our defenders. Once we got our wake-up call we dictated much of the rest of the entire half."

In the 24th minute, senior Sara Lewis, a Green Bay native, tied the game at 1-1 with her first goal of the season. Junior Elizabeth Chudy fought off a pair of Green Bay defenders to send a centering pass to Lewis. After corraling the ball, Lewis sent a shot into the top of the net, where it deflected off the cross bar and into the goal.

UW-Green Bay led off the scoring in just the fourth minute on Stephanie Gross' team-leading third goal of the year. Gross had a 1v1 with the Panther keeper off a long through ball from Sarah Clayton, and hit home a shot from 10 yards out for the 1-0 lead.

Senior keeper Kerri St. Aubin needed to make just two saves in earning the win, while Brooke Wikgren and the UWGB defense combined to make six saves on the day. Wilkgren finished the match with three, while Phoenix defenders were also credited with clearing three shots off the goal line, including on successive shots in the first half.

"Our keeper did not have to make a save in the second half, which is nice," Moynihan said of his defender's play. "They're getting there. Over the course of the match I thought Janice (McGann), Val (Cooper), Brenda (Andrews), Becca (Englund) all did a decent job. Where I'd like to see them getting better is building out of the back. We just can't have the lapses."

For the match, UWM outshot its visitors, 22-9, and gained the 6-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Panthers return to action on Sunday when they travel to Normal, Ill., for a non-conference tilt with Illinois State University. It is the first of five straight road matches, while also being the last non-conference game for Milwaukee until Oct. 21 against No. 24 Wisconsin. Kick-off is set for noon.

Notes: St. Aubin's career record in league matches improves to 13-0 with the win ... after a school record-tying seven-game unbeaten streak, the Panthers have won back-to-back games for the first time this season ... the match's 35th foul in the 62nd minute eclipsed UWM's season-high for combined fouls in a match.