Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. (Aug. 19, 2007) -
Three different players scored goals to guide the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 3-0 win over Illinois State Sunday afternoon in Normal in its first exhibition season of the 2007 season.
Sophomore Erin Kreuser scored the match's first goal in the 29th minute, chipping ISU keeper Katie Grill-Donovan for the eventual game-winner. She had a breakaway off a pass from senior Amanda Winn and beat the keeper to give UWM the 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
UWM held a scant 3-2 lead in shots in the first half, before a more open 10-3 advantage in the second period. Two of those shots resulted in goals by sophomore Kate Megna and freshman Nicole Sperl.
In the 51st minute, Megna added a score to put the Panthers up 2-0. Freshman Nicole Hirsch played a ball to Megna, who won a tackle with a defender and came away with the ball. She then beat the keeper for the score. Sperl later blasted a shot from 10 yards out off Grill Donovan's arm in the 76th minute to provide for the final tally.
Freshman Sarah Talbert and senior Pam Shipway set up that third goal, begun by Talbert sending a ball out wide. Shipway then crossed it to Sperl in front of the net.
The Panthers were aggressive on offense all day, nearly tallying a fourth goal, when Kreuser beat the keeper and hit the cross bar from six yards out late in the match.
In addition to its 13-5 shot advantage, UWM also held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. The Panthers were also called for four more offsides calls (7-3) and were whistled for six of the game's seven fouls.
Junior keeper Erin Kane and freshman Leslie Deebach combined on the shutout, with Kane playing the first 65 minutes in goal and making three saves. Deebach played the final 25 minutes, but was not called on to make a save.
Milwaukee rounds out its 2007 exhibition season next weekend, hosting its annual Alumni game Friday (Aug. 24) before traveling back to Illinois to take on the University of Illinois Sunday. The Panthers open the regular season Aug. 29 at home against Indiana State in the first game of the annual Milwaukee Cup.
