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MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 11, 2005) - Freshman Erin Kane made a diving save to her left in the seventh round of penalty kicks to give the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team a 6-5, shootout win over Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday evening at Valley Field.

The Panthers (12-4-5) and Boilermakers (11-7-2) played to a scoreless tie before UWM came out on top in a penalty kick shootout for its first NCAA Tournament win in four tries.

Both teams made their first four kicks, before Milwaukee's fifth attempt was punched over the cross bar by Purdue's Lauren Mason. Kane then knocked the Boilermakers' next shot off the right post to force sudden death PKs. Each squad then found the back of the net in round six, before sophomore Claire Pignet drilled a shot high left past Mason. Kane then made her second save of the shootout.

"I couldn't read (the shooter) at first, but I told myself to stay and trust my instincts," Kane said. "The credit really goes to our shooters for getting us to that point."

Kane made five saves for the team's school-record sixth-straight shutout and her 13th of the season. Her counterpart, Mason, made four saves and the Purdue defense cleared another off the goal line to keep the game scoreless.

"Both keepers played extremely well and came up with some big saves in some big situations," head coach Michael Moynihan said. "Erin reads kicks extremely well. We have a lot confidence in her when it comes to PKs.

"It's our first win in the NCAA Tournament, so we are in new territory. Men's basketball paved the way for us last season, making it to the Sweet 16. We wanted to model ourselves after that and go as far as we could."

Milwaukee had the upper hand much of the physical, but clean, match. The Panthers outshot Purdue, 15-11, on the night. They also generated three more corner kicks (5-2), while both teams were whistled for 13 fouls.

In the first half, senior Nicole Motl had a shot from seven yards out knocked away by Mason in the 22nd minute and senior Andrea Kramer had another close range shot cleared off the line by a defender in the 40th. For the frame, the Boilermakers had a slight 6-5 shot edge.

Just after the break, sophomore Pam Shipway lofted a shot off the top of the crossbar. But, the half's best scoring threat came in the 85th minute when sophomore Amanda Winn took a free kick from 25 yards out. Her shot looked poised to sneak in past the near post, but Mason made a diving save. Kane made a similar save on Jessica Okoroafo 12 minutes earlier.

After regulation, there were few scoring chances, with freshman Jodi Klagos' header in the 96th minute proving to be the best. After a Panther corner kick, sophomore Sarah Freidel sent a cross back into the box, just outside the far post. Klagos headed a close range shot, but could not convert.

The match was Milwaukee's second-straight decided in sudden death PKs, after defeating Detroit, 4-3, in the Horizon League Championship match last Sunday.

UWM advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday against the winner of Wisconsin/Marquette at 1 p.m. at Valley Field.