Box Score |  Notes

CHICAGO, Ill. (Nov. 9, 2008) - Freshman Sarah Hagen tallied her first collegiate hat trick and three more Panthers scored as the 19th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team rolled over Loyola, 6-2, in the 2008 Horizon League Championship game Sunday afternoon at Loyola Soccer Park.

"I think it just shows some of the progress we've made through the course of the season," UWM head coach Michael Moynihan said. "It's been a long stretch. Whether you win it in dramatic fashion or comfortably, it still feels pretty good. The way the team in playing, another one of our goals was to keep getting better as the season went along. You look at a result like today and it shows that we've done that."

The Panthers (18-2-2), who won for the ninth-straight time, claimed their fifth league tournament title and their first since 2005. Milwaukee also picked up the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The win also avenged a 1-0 loss to the Ramblers in the regular season and a loss in penalty kicks in the 2007 title game.

"We've had problems against them the last couple of times we played them. We generate chances, but haven't been able to finish," Moynihan said. "I think coming into it, it was a team we wanted to prove ourselves against. A lot of times the play tends to be in tour favor and we haven't been able to earn the result. We wanted to set that straight. Today we make a pretty strong case for that."

Hagen's hat trick was the first by a Panther since Oct. 12, 1997, and netted her league tournament MVP honors. She added an assist for seven points on the day and broke a school record with a point in her ninth-straight game.

Before Milwaukee built their lead as high as 6-1, they were mired in a back-and-forth game early in the first half. A ball of the cross bar by Cynthia Morote-Ariza fueled the Panthers, who tallied two first-half goals by Hagen and sophomore Nicole Sperl.

"We were pretty well aware of Cynthia's capabilities beforehand," Moynihan said. "That might have rattled people a little bit. We had several mistakes leading up to that. We were fortunate that she didn't punish us. I think the key was just getting the first goal. When you get the first goal against them, it changes the complexion of the game. They have to chase it a little bit. It opens up a little bit more."

After halftime, UWM wasted little time in extending their lead, with freshman Keara Thompson's eventual game-winner just 1:40 into the second half. Hagen added goal No. 2 less than five minutes later and her sixth with ease in the 78th. Junior Louise Vraney added a goal of her own in the 63rd.

"We felt we had them reeling a little bit," Moynihan said of his team's 2-0 lead at halftime. "One of the things I think Loyola does very well is maintain their spirit and keep battling. Last year they came back from a two-goal deficit late in the game and we talked about that at halftime. It was very clear in a lot of the players' minds. We wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. We wanted to come out in the second half and make a statement and we did that and then some. We pretty much settled it then."

Morote-Ariza scored both goals unassisted as the Ramblers tried to remain in the game, but to no avail. The Panthers controlled the play throughout most of the game and forged an 18-9 shot advantage. They also took five more corner kicks (7-2).

Senior Erin Kane made five saves for the win, while her counterpart Katie Groesch made two and had a defender clear another ball off the goal line.

Kane joined Hagen on the all-tournament team, as did senior Sarah Teegarden, Megna and freshman Mary Wandolowski.

Hagen picked up the game's first goal of the game off an assist from junior Kayla DeJardin. DeJardin lofted a ball far post and Hagen trapped the ball and finished at the near post. Sperl's goal was then off a short corner from junior Kate Megna. Megna drove the corner to Sperl, who collected the ball and blasted a half volley far post.

Thompson's goal proved to be the game-winner and was started again by Megna. She sent a cross to Hagen, who's shot was stopped by Groesch. Thompson was there for the rebound and put it into the open net. Hagen's second goal was off a failed clear and Vraney's score came off a Megna pass slotted into the box. After Megna took the ball away from a Loyola defender, she found Vraney who broke to the endline and beat the keeper.

The sixth and final goal came when Teegarden cleared a ball well into the Loyola zone. A defender and the keeper came out to get the ball, but Hagen took advantage of a miscommunication and came up with the ball and no players between her and the goal. She casually dribbled in and finished with no players within 20 yards.