Nov. 13, 2005

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

DETROIT, Mich. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team earned their fourth-straight Horizon League Tournament Championship on Sunday, defeating the University of Detroit Mercy by a score of 1-0 at Titan Field. Junior Dale Weiler scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute, propelling the Panthers (13-4-4) over the Titans (12-6-2) and into the NCAA tournament for the fifth-straight season.

Milwaukee ran through the tournament without allowing a goal in the three games, as freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum earned Tournament MVP honors. Fernstrum became just the sixth goalie in league history to not allow a goal in the tournament, a feat last accomplished by UWM's Kirk Thode in 2003.

"It's always great to win a game like this," Milwaukee head coach Louis Bennett said. "This time it was definitely very challenging. I am hugely, hugely proud of the way the team came through today."

The only score of the game came at the 62:53 mark off a long free kick after a DU defender was called for a foul on junior Craig Mallace. Mallace then took the ensuing free kick, bending a 45-yard serve to the far post, where Weiler streaked in and went up-and-over the Titan defense to send the header into the back of the net at the far post.

To see Weiler come through with the game-winning goal was a surprise in itself. Just a minute into the game, Weiler was sent hard into the Milwaukee bench when he was chasing down a ball at the sideline. The ambulance was brought on the field and Weiler was down for over five minutes before making it back to the bench.

"It was unbelievable," Weiler said. "I think after I got messed up on the sidelines, I just knew I was going to make it back into the game. It was just an awesome ball by Mallace. To be honest, it wasn't too hard. He put it on a platter and I finished it."

The final minutes of the game proved intense, as the Titans pressed the Panthers in search of the tying goal. With 30 seconds remaining, Detroit had a 30-yard free kick from the left flank sent into the six-yard box. Fernstrum came off his line to punch the ball out of danger. The Titans, who brought up goalie Sasha Boskovic to use 11 attackers at the time, regained possession before freshman Travis Phillips finally cleared the ball out of danger as time ran out.

"We made some tactical changes that nearly backfired," Bennett said. "I overcoached and they made up for it by keeping the ball out of the back of the net."

The UWM defense held tight in the 83rd minute as well, fending off a dangerous Titan corner kick and a second phase shot that was sent wide.

The Panthers nearly got on the board two other times in the second half. In the 75th minute, Boskovic made a reactionary save on a one-timer from junior Steve Sperl. Sperl sent the shot on goal after being set up at the top of the six-yard box on a great pass from the endline off the foot of senior Neil Dombrowski.

Before that, in the 59th minute, Mallace's shot from the top of the 18-yard box went up and over the crossbar.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with Milwaukee having the lion's share of possession. They were unable to do anything dangerous with their chances though. Detroit had the four to three edge in shots before halftime and almost scored in the 37th minute.

On the play, Fernstrum came off his line to chase down a serve on a corner kick. The ball redirected back into the box, where Titan Ray Hannish sent a header on the open net. But, senior Kyle Zenoni was there to clear it off the line and keep it scoreless at the time.

Fernstrum needed to make just one save for the victory today, recording his ninth shutout on the season and fourth-consecutive. He lowered his goals against average to 0.40 on the year in being named to the All-Tournament Team and the MVP. Joining him on the All-Tournament team were Neil Dombrowski, Weiler and sophomore Steve Bode.

The victory sends the Panthers to their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament. They will find out their opponent at 3 p.m. on Monday, when the tournament pairings are announced.