Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Oct. 7, 2007) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team outshot Youngstown State 37-3 and took all 12 of the match's corner kicks, but needed a goal from freshman Heather Roadhouse in the 75th minute to get past the Penguins, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Engelmann Field.

The Panthers (7-3-3, 3-0-1 Horizon) are now unbeaten in their last seven games (4-0-3), while YSU (1-11-1, 0-2 Horizon) remained winless in its last seven (0-6-1).

Roadhouse scored the game-winner in the 75th minute off an assist from her Brookfield Central High School teammate, another freshman, Nicole Hirsch. Sophomore Kayla DeJardin got the play started with a throw-in to the near corner and Hirsch. Hirsch then beat a defender and the Penguin keeper along the endline before feeding Roadhouse in the middle of the penalty area. She then finished into the open net from 10 yards out.

"Hirsch did a nice job and set it up well. I thought she could have finished herself. She beat a beat a couple of players and cut the keeper and I thought she was going to tuck it in the goal," Milwaukee head coach Michael Moynihan said, "but she laid it off for Heather and she did a nice job to keep it on net, which was a big problem for us today. A lot of our shots were going high and wide. We had so many opportunities and just didn't keep them on net. So, Heather did and it went in. It was a nice setup by Hirsch and a nice finish."

The goal came in the second half, which was dominated by Milwaukee. UWM yielded just two possessions to YSU on its half of the field in the frame and outshot its opponent 20-0 for the half. The Panthers had a chance for the game-winner in the 55th minute, but junior Sarah Teegarden's header was stopped with a lunging save by Youngstown's Caitlin Bodzioney.

Milwaukee finished the match with the aforementioned 37-3 shot advantage and 12-0 edge in corner kicks. The Panthers also forced Bodzioney to make 15 saves, while junior goalkeeper Erin Kane did not need to make any for the win. In fact, Kane only touched the ball twice after halftime, both on back passes from the Panther defense.

"When our goalkeeper only touches the ball when our team passes it to her, it's pretty indicative of a dominant performance," Moynihan said. "I thought the only time Youngstown threatened in the first half was in transition off of our restarts. We weren't organized. It was frustrating and something we talked about at halftime. That was a nice goal that they had. It was their only chance of the game and they did really well with it, whereas we had 37 shots and only managed two goals."

Sophomore Kate Megna put UWM ahead in the 15th minute with her second goal of the season. Senior Amanda Winn sent a free kick into the box from 30 yards away and Megna volleyed the ball far post to make it 1-0.

Winn almost set up a similar goal seven minutes later when her free kick found sophomore Erin Kreuser. Kreuser went at goal, but Bodzioney came off her line to make a save from three yards out.

In the first half, Milwaukee outshot Youngstown 17-3 and had all eight corner kicks. The Panthers dictated the run of play, with only a few bursts forward by YSU in transition. Just one YSU shot came from inside the penalty area, when Lauren Brennan finished for the Penguins' lone score from 15 yards.

"I thought we played good soccer, we moved the ball well and controlled things defensively," Moynihan said. "I thought we were more assertive in the second half in terms of controlling space. In the first half we would let them receive it, face and turn forward. We gave them too much space. In the second half, we took that away and they really couldn't get anything started."

Despite the Panthers' unrelenting control of the ball, Youngstown's goal was no fluke. Carrie Wack started the play with a long ball from the back line. Natalie Brady tracked the ball and sent a cross to Brennan from the corner of the box. Brennan one-timed the cross and ricocheted it off the inside of the far post for her eighth goal of the season.

UWM returns to action with a "light" week ahead, playing just one game. The Panthers travel to Valparaiso, Ind., to take on Horizon League newcomer Valparaiso Friday (Oct. 12). Milwaukee (3-0-1) sits first in the league standings, one point ahead of Loyola (3-0), which had a non-league match Sunday.