Nov. 8, 2005
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Nov. 7, 2005) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team will play Purdue University Friday across town at Marquette's Valley Field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Panthers learned today.
Joining UWM and Purdue in Milwaukee will be host Marquette and Wisconsin. The winner of the two Friday matches will meet Sunday. This is the third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament that the Panthers have been sent across town, also playing in the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Tournaments at Valley Field.
Purdue received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament after finishing 7-2-1 in Big Ten play and 11-7-1 on the year. The Boilermakers lost to Wisconsin in the first round of the conference tournament, 3-1. UWM and Purdue are quite familiar, having played an exhibition match this season and in the 2004 regular season finale. The Panthers came out on top in 2004, 2-1, but fell in their preseason finale, 3-0. Also, Boilermakers assistant coach Sue Moynihan is the older sister of Milwaukee head coach Michael Moynihan, and was the Panthers' head coach from 1992-96.
Milwaukee has played both Marquette and Wisconsin this season, tying nationally-ranked Golden Eagles, 0-0, and falling to the Badgers, 4-0. The Panthers have not lost since their loss to UW, a school-record unbeaten streak of 12 games (10-0-2).
UWM enters its fourth NCAA Tournament with a 12-4-4 record, led by All-Horizon League First Team honorees Erin Kane, Sarah Teegarden and Ginny Graczyk. The league regular season champs as well, Milwaukee also placed Janice McGann and Amanda Winn on the league's second team. The Panthers previously earned NCAA Tournament berths in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
Story provided by Kevin Conway, UWM Sports Information
