Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Aug. 22, 2008) - Freshman Sarah Hagen scored two second-half goals and junior Louise Vraney tallied a late insurance score to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 3-0 win over Wisconsin Friday evening at Engelmann Field.

The Panthers (1-0) defeated the Badgers (0-1) for the third-straight time, doing so in front of 718 fans, the second-largest women's soccer crowd in Engelmann Field history.

"It's always good to beat Wisconsin. It's been three years in a row now," UWM head coach Michael Moynihan said. "We've beaten them before, but never this decisively. It was a great build -up on our first goal that anybody would be proud of. It was a great crowd to play in front of and that made the win all the more better."

Milwaukee appeared to dominate the game, generating a number of legitimate scoring opportunities, while never really allowing Wisconsin to gain any momentum.

The game was scoreless coming out of halftime, but Hagen ended that in the 65th minute. Junior Erin Kreuser sent a ball to junior Kate Megna on the far sideline. She then sent a cross to the middle of the penalty area where Hagen headed the ball at the far post. UW keeper Jamie Klages got her hands on the ball, but it squirted through and into the back of the net.

In the 72nd minute Hagen picked up her second goal, volleying in a corner kick from sophomore Nicole Sperl. Sperl sent a deep corner kick to the far post and Hagen sent a low volley past Klages. Vraney added an insurance goal in the 88th minute, using her body to deflect a Megna corner kick into the net near post.

"Sarah (Hagen) is going to be a handful for a lot of teams," Moynihan said. "She was frustrated in the first half with the opportunities she had and just didn't finish. We told the team at halftime to keep their heads up, stick with it and continue to create those opportunities. Sarah really responded in the second half."

The Panthers outshot Wisconsin 20-11 and gained a 9-7 advantage on corner kicks.

Hagen is the second Milwaukee freshman to score twice in a season-opener, joining Vraney in 2005. Meanwhile, Vraney is the only player in UWM's Division I history to score on opening day twice, tallying a goal in the first game of the season in each of her first three seasons.

Senior Erin Kane made four saves for the shutout in the game. She was only really tested once, punching a Laurie Nosbusch shot over the bar in the 44th minute. The Panthers' new defense in front of Kane kept her workload light, thwarting most UW scoring chances before they materialized.

"I was very pleased with our defense," Moynihan said. "Our back four played the entire game. Their one real shot came through the midfield. Nosbusch just had a nice turn and good shot. Kane came up with the big save. She came through that one time and that was all we needed."

Klages made seven saves for the visiting Badgers, who had won 17 of the two team's first 22 meetings (17-1-4) prior to 2005. Milwaukee has now won three straight, each in shut out fashion.

UWM returns to action Wednesday in the first game of the 2008 Milwaukee Cup. The Panthers host Ohio State at Engelmann Field.