Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Aug. 29, 2008) - Freshman Sarah Hagen collected her second multi-goal performance in just her third collegiate game to lead the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 4-2 win over Samford Friday evening at Engelmann Field.

The Panthers are now 3-0 for the first time in their Division I history, defeating their second-straight NCAA Tournament team. Milwaukee finished the Milwaukee Cup with a perfect 2-0 record for the third-straight season, but must wait until Sunday to see if it will collect its second-straight tourney title.

"Looking at our schedule, with two Big Ten teams and two NCAA Tournament teams, not a lot of people expected us to be 3-0," UWM head coach Michael Moynihan said. "Today we were able to beat a Samford team that plays really well. Hopefully that will be enough (to win the Milwaukee Cup).

"The potential of our team is extremely impressive."

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 on the year.

Hagen got the scoring started just 59 seconds into the match. She won a short goal kick well inside the midfield stripe. She dribbled in on Samford keeper Alysha Whitehead and deposited the ball inside the far post well inside the penalty area.

After a Bulldog penalty kick knotted the score at 1-1 in the ninth minute, Hagen struck again in the 31st minute. Junior Erin Kreuser beat a defender to the ball just inside the touch line and dribbled around the player before sending a centering pass to Hagen. Hagen then hit inside the near post for a 2-1 lead the Panthers took into halftime.

Milwaukee came out of halftime with all of the game's momentum, capitalizing on a number of extended possessions for a 3-1 advantage in the 56th minute. Kreuser was once again the catalyst of the play, tracking a ball to the end line. She then sent a cross to junior Kate Megna, who settled the ball and rocketed a shot just inside the upper 90.

"Our forwards were extremely persistent," Moynihan said. "We had moments where we built very well through our forwards. They also worked well to establish defensive pressure right away out of the back."

The goal proved to be the game-winner when Sarah Wilkinson made it a one-goal game just inside the final five minutes of regulation. UWM's lead was re-established at two when Samford tallied an own goal in the 88th minute.

"We are finding some interesting ways to give up goals, but our goal production has been tremendous and we have been very fortunate," Moynihan said. "We are still trying to sort out our defense. We knew it would take a while to figure out. We have had some stretches where we have defended well and then there have been some crucial lapses."

While the game was back-and-forth at times, the Panthers controlled the pace of play for large stretches of the game. After scoring for the second time and well into the second half, they repeatedly went at Samford pushing for more goals.

Fifteen minutes after the break, Hagen had a pair of 1v1 opportunities with Whitehead coming off her line to snuff them out and keep her team in the game. She finished with five saves, while UWM keeper Erin Kane made two for her 40th career goalkeeping win.

The Panthers are in good shape for the Milwaukee Cup title, outscoring its opponents 8-5. Marquette is 1-0 in the tourney after an overtime win over Ohio State earlier in the day (2-1). Should the Golden Eagles defeat the Bulldogs Sunday, the first tiebreaker would be goal differential. The second is goals scored.

Milwaukee experiences its first taste of the "road" their next time out, heading across town to face Marquette at Valley Fields Wednesday, Sept. 3.