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team, huddle, NCAA Championships
Don Jedlovec
1
Milwaukee MKE (16-2-1)
4
Winner Santa Clara SCU (17-3-1)
Milwaukee MKE
(16-2-1)
1
Final
4
Santa Clara SCU
(17-3-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Milwaukee MKE 0 1 1
Santa Clara SCU 1 3 4

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Outstanding Season Comes To A Close At NCAA Tournament

Sever scores beautiful goal at NCAA Tournament

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Freshman Jelena Sever netted a stupendous goal to tie things up with just over 20 minutes left, but the Milwaukee women's soccer team ultimately fell in a hard-luck 4-1 loss to No. 7 Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament First Round Saturday afternoon from Stevens Stadium.
 
The Broncos (17-3-1) scored three times in the final 21 minutes to make a deceiving scoreline out of what was a highly competitive match.
 
The loss is just the second of the season for Milwaukee, who finishes the year with an impressive 16-2-1 mark – tying for the third-most wins in a season the Panthers' distinguished program history.
 
"We talked to the team beforehand about believing in themselves, and I think right from kickoff you could sense that," Milwaukee head coach Troy Fabiano said. "A lot of teams probably give up a goal on the road against the No. 7 team in the country. But, we stuck together and scored a good goal. You look at it and it's 1-1 with 21 minutes left. So, you're right there competing and then they get a few goals at the end when you're trying to throw some numbers forward.
 
"Winning a conference tournament and getting to the national tournament is something we always want to achieve – but we don't want to be satisfied with that. We want to be able to go a little bit further. Hopefully this lays a little bit of that ground work because I thought we were able to compete with a team that's very, very good and ranked No. 7, and they're definitely worth that ranking."
 
Milwaukee came out strong, creating the opening chances of the game with an early corner kick just one minute in. Gaby Schwartz's blast from distance forced the first save of the game for either team.
 
Santa Clara got on the board first at the 17th minute off a great individual effort by Maria Sanchez. Kelsey Turnbow sent in a cross from the left corner across the box and Sanchez launched her body and just got a foot on it for the first goal of the game.
 
That scored would remain until the 61:24 mark in the second half. Mackenzie Schill corralled the ball near the top of box, took a few touches and then laid the ball off for Sever. The freshman continued to do what she has all season by unleashing a firecracker of a shot from 25 yards out that beat the outstretched arms of the keeper, drawing the game level at 1-1 and giving MKE new life.
 
SCU would respond, however. The Broncos scored their second on a play awfully similar to their first with an outstretched leg on a cross netting a goal on the back post to make it 2-1 with 21 minutes left.
 
As the Panthers pushed ahead to try and draw level again, Santa Clara was able to add two more to close out the NCAA opener.
 
Freshman keeper Elaina LaMacchia put together an impressive performance against the high-powered attack and was credited with six saves.
 
Milwaukee was whistled for 13 fouls on the day to SCU's three, and the Broncos outshot MKE, 22-8.
 
Saturday's result caps the remarkable careers of six Panthers, as Erin Corrigan, Lourdes Onwuemeka, Sara Petrone, Brooke Polonus, Marissa Stovring and Kelli Swenson, closing things out with four Horizon League Regular Season titles to their names.
 
 
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