UW-La Crosse Women’s Soccer Claims WIAC Title with Commanding Win

OSHKOSH, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-La Crosse) women’s soccer team secured the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular-season championship following a decisive 5-1 victory against UW-Oshkosh on October 25. This marks the fourth consecutive year and the eighth total time the Eagles have clinched the regular-season title.

Dominant Season Performance

With an impressive record of 15 wins, 2 losses, and a tie (15-2-1 overall, 5-0-1 in WIAC), UW-La Crosse has demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the season. This victory not only crowned them champions but also earned them the top seed for the upcoming WIAC Tournament, presented by Culver’s. The tournament is scheduled to begin on November 5, with UW-La Crosse set to host one of the two semifinal matches on November 7. The championship match will conclude the tournament on November 9, where the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Game Highlights

In their match against UW-Oshkosh, the Eagles showcased their offense early, netting three goals in the first half:

• Ella Opie opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the match, assisted by Jillian Sawadski.
• Catherine Arnold doubled the lead at the 14:12 mark.
• Sera Speltz added a third goal at 19:04, again assisted by Sawadski.

The Eagles extended their lead to 4-0 at 65:30 with another goal from Opie, and Aubree Caya capped the scoring at 74:30, marking her 19th goal of the season, which ties the single-season school record previously set by Jennifer Tischaefer in 1997 and 1999.

Individual Performances

UW-Oshkosh’s Maris Heun found the net at 77:09, bringing the score to 5-1. UW-La Crosse dominated in terms of overall shots, finishing the game with 17 shots, 12 of which were on target. Caya led the Eagles with six shots, five on target, while Opie, Speltz, and Arnold each had two shots on goal.

Goalkeeping Stats

In goal, Summer Nicolai earned the win with two saves across 70:14 minutes. Robin Blair contributed with one save in the remaining time. Conversely, Mallory Kerhin of UW-Oshkosh faced numerous challenges, racking up seven saves despite the team’s loss.

Looking Forward

With this commanding performance and an unbeaten WIAC streak now extended to 27 matches (25-0-2), UW-La Crosse will look to carry this momentum into the upcoming tournament as they aim for further success and a spot in the NCAA tournament.

For further updates and in-depth coverage of the WIAC Tournament, please check the official athletics website of UW-La Crosse.