Box Score |  Notes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Sept. 26, 2008) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team outshot Green Bay, 30-6, and benefited from two early second-half goals to open its 2008 Horizon League season with a 2-0 win over the Phoenix Friday evening at Engelmann Field.

The Panthers (9-1-2, 1-0 Horizon) swept all three Division I teams in the state for the second time in three seasons, extending their unbeaten streak against those teams to nine games (8-0-1). Milwaukee also pushed its league unbeaten streak to 31 games (29-0-2), while Green Bay (2-3-2, 0-1 Horizon) saw its four-game unbeaten streak come to an end.

"It's another win against another Wisconsin team," UWM head coach Michael Moynihan said. "Green Bay has been stingy against a lot of teams all year and when you don't score on them early, they stick around and frustrate you. It's tough to break them down. Fortunately, we were able to do it early in the second half and put the game away."

Despite Milwaukee controlling the possession throughout the first half, the game went into the break tied at 0-0. UWM then came out in the second half and tallied two goals in the first 14 minutes.

Senior Beth Steuer got the scoring started with what turned out to be the game-winner. The Phoenix had trouble clearing a ball out of the penalty area, leading to an initial shot by Steuer from the top of the box. Her shot was block, but she was able to get to her rebound and knock it into the net, far post in the 48th minute.

"It was pretty clear what they were trying to do from the beginning and it frustrated us a little bit," Moynihan said. "They were the first team that man-marked Sarah (Hagen) and we lacked width for the game. They sat back and forced a lot of things, so it made for a lot of opportunities, but not great ones for us. At halftime we made a few adjustments and I thought they executed that very well and it translated into a couple of goals."

In the 59th minute, junior Louise Vraney added an insurance goal on a through ball from freshman Sarah Hagen. Hagen brought the ball down the middle of the field and slid a ball to Vraney, who was running diagonal to the defense. She tracked the ball down and finished from 12 yards out.

Among the 30 shots, the Panthers had a handful of chances, including Hagen hitting the crossbar in the 60th minute and a pair of near misses by freshman Keara Thompson. Thompson hit where the crossbar and post meet in the first half and saw another shot stopped with a sprawling save in the 87th minute.

On the defensive end, Milwaukee held the Phoenix with few dangerous chances, as the visitor's possessions in the attacking third were few and far between. None-the-less, in the 71st minute, Laura Hamer hit the near post and saw her shot roll along the goal line harmlessly.

The first half was all about the Panthers as they outshot the Phoenix 18-1 and allowed just two possessions within 45 yards of the UWM net. Green Bay came out intent on slowing down the Panthers' offense, man-marking one of the nation's leading scorers in Hagen.

"We try to play a good possession-oriented style where we try to build up and get our numbers forward," Moynihan said. "When they keep that many numbers back it leaves a lot of space with our back line and midfield. We moved the ball pretty well within that, it's just being dangerous with that space. I thought we did much better with that in the second half."

GB took nearly advantage of one of its possessions when Chelsea Lyons tracked down a long ball into the corner, narrowly beating UWM keeper Erin Kane to the ball. She sent a cross into the middle of the box before colliding with Kane. Jessie Ruch ran onto the ball, but slotted her shot wide of the far post.

Kane would leave the game, being replaced by sophomore Leslie Deebach. Deebach picked up her first collegiate win with three saves in just under 65 minutes of action. Maddie Drusch, meanwhile, finished with nine saves for Green Bay.

In addition to the dramatic shot total, UWM also forced all nine of the game's corner kicks.

The Panthers return to action when they hit the road for the first of four-straight league road matches. The first comes Oct. 3 at Loyola on a trip that will see UWM also visit Wright State Oct. 5.