Men's Soccer Weekly Release #14 - NCAA Second-Round Preview
Nov. 21, 2005
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UWM to Face Nation's Top-Ranked Team in New Mexico
UW-Milwaukee carries a 14-4-4 overall record and a five-match shutout streak into Tuesday's second round, but the Panthers face perhaps the toughest challenge possible as top-ranked New Mexico stands between UWM and a trip to the Sweet 16.
New Mexico has lost just once in 18 matches this season (15-1-2 overall) and has outscored its opponents 17-4 in posting a 5-0-1 record since that lone loss---a 3-2 overtime setback to San Jose State on Oct. 16.
The Lobos---champions of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation---are currently ranked #1 in the nation by the NSCAA, College Soccer News, and Soccer Times and third by Soccer America. Senior forward Jeff Rowland tops the UNM scoring chart with 13 goals and 29 points, while senior midfielder Lance Watson has eight assists among his 24 points. Sophomore goalkeeper Mike Graczyk boasts a 0.60 goals-against average and 11 shutouts.
UW-Milwaukee and New Mexico have both beaten two common opponents in 2005, with the Panthers taking a 3-1 victory over UNLV (at Peoria, Ill.) on Sept. 4 and defeating Wisconsin 2-0 (at Milwaukee) on Oct. 4. New Mexico edged UW's Badgers 3-2 (at Albuquerque) on Sept. 16 and added a pair of victories over UNLV (7-2 on Oct. 22 and 4-0 on Oct. 29) in MPSF action.
UW-Milwaukee and New Mexico have split four previous matches, with the Panthers winning the last meeting---a 1-0 decision at Madison, Wis., on Aug. 31, 2003. UNM posted back-to-back shutouts with a 2-0 triumph at Albuquerque (Sept. 12, 1997) plus a 1-0 decision in Milwaukee (Sept. 13, 1998), while the Panthers posted a 4-0 shutout victory at home on Sept. 10, 1988.
The winner of Tuesday night's match faces the winner of the match between 15th seed Cal State Northridge and 2004 national runner-up UC Santa Barbara. The date, time and location of that third-round contest have yet to be determined.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Horizon League posted a 2-1-0 record head-to-head versus the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation during the regular season. UW-Milwaukee defeated UNLV 3-1 on a neutral field (Sept. 4, at Peoria, Ill.) while UW-Green Bay split two matches during a western road trip in early September. The Phoenix outlasted Air Force 1-0 in overtime (Sept. 9) and lost 2-1 at Denver two days later.
UW-Milwaukee Defeats Bradley For Second Time in 2005
UW-Milwaukee (14-4-4) opened first round action in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night with a2-0 win over Bradley University at Shea Stadium. The Panthers victory over the Braves (15-6-1) sends UW-Milwaukee to the second round of tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
The Panthers used a Bradley mistake to score the first goal of the game, as junior Steve Sperl took advantage of a poor back pass attempt to net the game-winner.
"I was able to take advantage of a mistake," Sperl said, after scoring his third goal against Bradley this season. "It was nothing special, it just seemed like I have played well each time we played Bradley this season."
It happened at the 11-minute mark on a play that started on UWM's side of the field. After Bradley had started a break, sophomore Zeke Dombrowski took control and sent a long ball back to the top of the 18-yard box. At that point, Braves defender Jeff Kellogg misplayed a back pass header and Sperl was streaking in to put in the 12-yard shot past BU goalkeeper Chris Dunsheath.
The Panthers would go on to score one goal in each half, adding an insurance marker in the 51st minute. Sophomore Andre Francois scored for the second time in three games, heading in a goal off the right post on assists from sophomore Tenzin Rampa and senior Neil Dombrowski.
Bradley nearly pulled within a goal just after Francois' score, as Will Shelton sent one off the left post from 20 yards out just minutes after UWM had gone ahead 2-0.
The rest of the story was the UWM defense. The team posted its fifth consecutive shutout and 12th of the season, tying the program record in the process. Spearheading the effort was freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum, who equaled the school record with his 10th shutout of the season (and fifth-straight) in extending his current scoreless streak to 450 minutes.
The defense fended off 24 Bradley shots in the contest, not allowing the Braves to get very many quality opportunities. Fernstrum made a diving save on the last dangerous chance, fending off a 10-yard blast by Drew DeGurian with 14 minutes left.
(Story courtesy of UWM Sports Information)
UW-Milwaukee11--2Bradley00--0
UWM -- Steve Sperl (unassisted), 11:00UWM -- Andre Francois (Neil Dombrowski,Tenzin Rempa), 50:13
Shots: UWM 21, BU 24Saves: UWM (Fernstrum) 5, BU (Dunsheath 7, team 1) 8Corner Kicks: UWM 6, BU 6Fouls: UWM 10, BU 10Offsides: UWM 1, BU 0
Panthers Continue Run of Success in NCAA Tournament
Horizon League champion UW-Milwaukee is back in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, winning its opening match for the fourth year in a row with a road triumph over Missouri Valley Conference representative Bradley 2-0 on Friday (Nov. 18). Steve Sperl and Andre Francois netted the goals for UWM, who defeated Bradley for the second time this season and became one of only three road teams to win in the opening round of this year's tournament.
The Panthers reached the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year after defeating regular-season League titlist Detroit 1-0 in the League Championship tournament final on Nov. 13.
The Panthers (13-4-4 overall, ranked third in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll) have tied a school record with 12 shutouts this season. Freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum has ten of those whitewashes in 15 appearances since taking over the starting job. He currently leads the nation with a 0.38 goals-against average. He has not allowed a goal in the last 450 minutes since Oct. 26.
UW-Milwaukee has not allowed a first-half goal in its last 13 matches, going back to Oct. 2.
Offensively, the Panthers have outscored their opponents 36-16 this season, including 19-5 in the first half. Senior midfielder Neil Dombrowski tops the UW-Milwaukee scoring charts with nine goals and 23 points while junior defender Craig Mallace's 18-point line features a League-high ten assists plus four goals. Sophomore defender Steve Bode (five goals, 11 points) and junior forward Steve Sperl (four goals, four assists) provide support for the attack, which has seen 11 different players score goals and 15 players register assists this season. Of the 20 Panthers (not including goalkeepers) to take the field this season, only three have yet to register a point in 2005.
UW-Milwaukee has been shut out only twice in 22 matches this season: a 0-0 tie versus UIC on Oct. 12 and a 1-0, overtime loss to UW-Green Bay on Oct. 26. The UWGB contest marked the team's last defeat and continued an unfortunate trend for the Panthers, who are 0-3-4 in overtime contests this season. That mark includes defeats against Fairleigh Dickinson (2-1 on Sept. 11) and Michigan (2-1 on Oct. 20) in addition to the loss to UW-Green Bay.
By contrast, UWM is 14-1-0 in matches decided in 90 minutes. Detroit is the only team to defeat the Panthers in regulation, posting a 2-1 decision on Oct. 2.
For other information in tabular format, refer to the PDF version of this week's release.
