(Courtesy Miwaukee Sports Information - UWMPanthers.com)
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team will play Wisconsin at Valley Field in Milwaukee in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers and Badgers will face off on Friday at Marquette’s Valley Field at a time to be determined. The winner of their match will take on the winner of the host Golden Eagles and Central Michigan on Sunday.
Milwaukee is familiar with all three opponents at the site, having also played Marquette earlier this season to a 1-1 draw at Valley Field and dropping a tough 1-0 decision at Wisconsin. In addition to annual meetings with the two teams, UWM has also played Central Michigan before, winning meetings in 2000 and 2001.
The Badgers rebounded from an 0-3-2 start to go 10-4-4 in the regular season, beginning with their win over the Panthers Sept. 12 in Madison. Wisconsin went on to post a 7-1-2 record in Big Ten play and take third in the conference standings. Its win over Milwaukee was its first in the series since 2005.
Milwaukee is quite familiar with the situation, having played three games this season on Marquette’s field and having been sent to Valley Field for the NCAA Tournament in 2001, 2002 and 2005.
Marquette enters the tournament as a No. 3 seed and is 15-4-2 on the season. The Golden Eagles won their division in the Big East with a perfect 11-0 record and have ascended to No. 12 in the country. Central Michigan has gone 16-4-1 so far this season, rolling through the Mid-American Conference schedule with a 10-1 mark and winning the MAC Tournament.
The Panthers are 12-6-2 on the season and were the second seed in the Horizon League Tournament after sharing the regular season championship with a 6-2 mark. Milwaukee then went on the road to defeat Wright State Friday and No.1 seed Butler Sunday this past weekend in Indianapolis.
UWM is led by two-time Horizon League Player of the Year Sarah Hagen, Defensive Player of the Year Nicole Sperl and all-league honorees Sarah Talbert (All-League First Team) and Keara Thompson (Second Team). Hagen, who was also named league tournament MVP for the third time and Offensive Player of the Year, leads the league in scoring with 18 goals and 42 points. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Talbert, Thompson, Leslie Deebach and Sara Stern.
Milwaukee is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seventh with the Horizon League's automatic berth. The Panthers made previous tournament trips in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. They have previously been sent to Minnesota (1997), Madison (2009), Notre Dame twice (2006, 08).
Tags: Milwaukee - Women's Soccer
