Posted: Sep 29, 2012
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's soccer is starting to make a lot of noise in the WIAC. Saturday, they welcomed the conference leader and 15th-ranked, UW-Oshkosh to Bollinger Field and handed the Titans a 4-2 loss, their first of the season.
It was parents' weekend and the weather could not have been better for a day of soccer. The Blugolds gave their parents plenty to cheer for once the game started as well.
The Blugolds scored first at 10:31 of the first half. Paige LeGate (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port) scored her first goal of the season on a pass from Gina Williams (Sr.-Madison, Wis./Verona Area).
The Titans knotted the score back up at 1-all at 17:58 on a penalty kick. Both teams were aggressive the rest of the half, but the score remained tied at halftime.
At 51:34, the Blugolds were given a penalty kick after the Titans picked up a foul in the penalty box. Williams buried the kick, her eighth goal of the year, to give the Blugolds a lead they would not give back up.
Less than a minute later, Williams struck again on an assist by LeGate to give UW-Eau Claire the 3-1 lead.
Not wanting to risk anything, the Blugolds kept the pressure on to get an insurance goal, and at 61:30, Katie Richter (Sr.-Waukesha, Wis./West) delivered. Ashley Seymour (Fr.-Verona, Wis./Verona Area) and Williams assisted on the goal.
The Titans cut the lead in half with less than five minutes to play, but by then it was too much to overcome and the Blugolds held on for the win.
Nina Behrenbrinker (Jr.-St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) made one save and picked up the win in goal for the Blugolds. Amanda Hakala (Sr.-Stillwater, Minn/Stillwater Area) played the final 11:08 and made two saves in relief.
The Blugolds are above .500 for the first time this season and have now won four in a row. They improve to 5-4-1 and 3-1-0 in conference. They head to Superior on Monday for a conference match with UW-Superior.
They will be back home on Wednesday for a non-conference matchup with St. Olaf (Minn.). Both games are set to start at 4 p.m., with Wednesday's match back at Bollinger Field.
-JM-
