Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 2, 2008) - Five different players scored goals and the Panthers outshot Green Bay, 27-1, as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team advanced to the Horizon League semifinals with a 5-0 win over the Phoenix Sunday afternoon at Engelmann Field.

With the win, the second-seeded Panthers (16-2-2) advance to the semifinals to take on No. 3 Wright State. The Raiders defeated No. 6 Cleveland State, 4-1. The league semifinals and championship game will be played at No. 1 Loyola, which was a 5-0 winner over No. 9 Youngstown State.

"We had five goals and five different goal scorers," Milwaukee head coach Michael Moynihan said. "We scored early and scored a lot in the first half. We executed our game plan well. They didn't play exactly how we thought they would play. Even so, I liked the way we executed what we were trying to do. I thought our players worked very hard and we came out of it healthy, so you can't ask for anything better than that."

Junior Erin Kreuser got the scoring started just 71 seconds into the match off a long pass from sophomore Nicole Sperl. Sperl's lofted a ball over the Green Bay defense and Kreuser beat her defender to the ball and took two shots in a 1v1 with the keeper and finished far post.

Despite the quick start, the Panthers did not score again until the 32nd minute when junior Kate Megna found the back of the net off an assist from junior Louise Vraney. Four minutes later, Vraney found freshman Sarah Hagen for her 21st goal of the season, which gave UWM a 3-0 lead at halftime.

"A lot of teams come into games with us with a lot of emotion," Moynihan said. "(Early goals) suck the life out of them right at the start. I wish we could do that more often. The longer teams can stay in the game, they get more and more energy and it gets harder to score. To get one early, and come in at halftime 3-nil up, I didn't expect that."

Hagen's goal tied a league record for goals in a season and marked the seventh-straight game in which she has scored a goal. Her goal-scoring streak tied the school record she set in her first seven games of the season.

"Hopefully it continues," Moynihan said of Hagen's scoring. "The season is not over and hopefully she can add to that total. She had a nice one and had a couple more opportunities. She keeps doing it for us. Apple's been doing it all season and that is something we didn't have last year and we haven't had in a long time--that consistent scoring threat. That makes a big difference. It takes pressure off different people and gives the team a sense of belief that."

Milwaukee was not done, adding a pair of scores in the second half. Vraney tallied a goal of her own in the 74th minute and freshman Laurel Ragalie found the back of the net in with just over five minutes remaining.

The Panthers dominated the play on both ends of the field throughout the match. They forged a 27-1 shot advantage and put 14 shots on goal. GB keeper Maddie Drusch made seven saves, including three key leaping saves to punch shots over the bar.

Senior Erin Kane made an easy save on the only shot of the game by the Phoenix to collect her ninth shutout of the season. Green Bay rarely had the ball in its attacking third, much less the 18-yard box around Kane. The team's only shot came off a free kick from 30 yards out and went straight into the mid-section of Kane.

"They have made a lot of progress all season," Moynihan said. "To deny them shots, they can't score. You look at the first time we played them. It was 2-nil and the shots were lopsided as well, but they had legitimate chances in that game. I think we will be tested more this weekend. Wright State has some more speed up front."

UWM won for the seventh-straight game since its only loss of the season Oct. 3 at Loyola. The Panthers have been on fire in the time, scoring at least three games each time out and averaging 4.1 goals per game. On the defensive end, they have conceded just one goal and an average of just 4.7 shots per game.