Soccer To Host WIAC Final Four For Third Straight Year

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Posted: Thursday, November 1, 2007

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The two-time defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular season and tournament champion UW-Eau Claire women's soccer team will have an opportunity to repeat both feats again as they host the WIAC Women's Soccer Final Four Friday and Saturday at the Bollinger Fields.

The Blugolds, the top seed and regular season champion, will host fourth seed UW-La Crosse at 11 a.m. In the second game second-seeded UW-Stevens Point will face off against third-seed UW-Whitewater at 2 p.m. The winner of both matches will meet Saturday in a 1 p.m. match for an automatic bid to the NCAA post-season tournament.

The Blugolds enter the weekend as the top-ranked defense in the WIAC in goals allowed (0.47/game) and shutouts with 13. The next closest team in goals allowed is Stevens Point with 21 goals allowed (0.93) to Eau Claries nine goals allowed. Goalies Allie Rivard (Jr.- Plymouth, MN/Wayzata) and Liz Weirick (Sr.- Kenosha, WI/Tremper) have helped the Blugolds become the top-ranked defense. Eau Claire came up one game short of tying the school record of 14 shutouts in a season. Rivard leads the league in save percentage with .866 percent on 31 saves. Rivard is also first in goals allowed, allowing only four goals this season. Weirick is second in the league in goals allowed, allowing only five goals this season.

Offensively the Blugolds rank second in points (8.61/game), goals (2.84/game), and assists per game (2.26). Forward Amy Smith (Jr.- Bloomington, MN/Thomas Jefferson) ranks in the top three statistically in points (35), goals (13), and assists per game (9). Smith is also tied for second with teammate Liz Kooistra (Jr.- Lakeville, MN), each have four game-winning goals.

UW-La Crosse comes to the Final Four fourth in assists per game (1.35) and fourth for goals allowed per game (1.24). The Eagles are ranked sixth or higher in every other major statistical category. Amy Cory (Sr.- Crystal Lake, IL/South) is ranked fourth for points per game (1.81) and goals (0.75) for the Eagles. Cory is also tied for second with four game-winning goals. Goalie Amanda Clark (Jr.- Minocqua/Lakeland Union) is ranked second in save percentage (.838), she has 88 saves on the season. Clark also has 16 shutouts which ties for second overall in the WIAC.

Second-seeded Stevens Point brings the most prolific offense to the Final Four. The Pointers lead the WIAC in points (8.61/game), goals (3.06/game), and assists per game (2.50). Stevens Point also ranks third with nine shutouts. Amanda Prawat (Jr.- Oregon) leads the league with 22 goals on the season averaging (1.22/game). Teammate Kaylee Weise (Jr.- Brookfield/East) is second in the same category averaging (0.78/game). Weise is leading the league with 11 assists (0.61/game) while Prawat is second with nine (0.50/game). Prawat also leads the league with five game-winning goals. Goalie Meredith DeCaluwe (Sr.- Naperville, IL/Central) is second in the league with six shutouts and fourth in save percentage (.800) on 85 saves.

Third-seed UW-Whitewater ranks third in points (6.30/game), goals (2.40/game), and assists per game (1.50). Whitewater is also second in the league with 11 shutouts (0.55). Mary Donohoo (Wauwatosa/West) is fifth in points (1.30/game) and goals per game (0.55). Goalie Amy Bailey (Fr.- Whitefish Bay/Whitefish Bay) is third in goals against average (0.98/game) and save percentage (.817) on 85 saves. Bailey leads the WIAC in shutouts with 16; the next closest is six shutouts.

Tickets for Friday's semifinal action and Saturday's championship action can be purchased at the Bollinger Fields in Eau Claire. The cost will be $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for youths, and free for all WIAC students with ID.

- KD -