Milwaukee Panthers Fall Sports Roundup

Summer is winding down and school is almost back in session signaling the beginning of the 2015 fall sports season. This will be an intriguing year for the men’s and women’s soccer teams along with the volleyball squad.

Women’s Soccer: After a rocky 2014 season that saw the incredible streak of 14 straight regular-season conference titles snapped, the lady Panthers jumped out to an encouraging start on Friday evening in the 2015 season opener at classic Engelmann Stadium.

In head coach Troy Fabiano’s first game at the helm of the Panthers, sophomore midfielder Anna Smalley registered a goal in the 52nd minute to lead the Panthers past Western Illinois, 1-0, in front of an enthused group of roaring black and gold fans.

Junior goalkeeper Paige Lincicum also played a major role, recording three saves for her first shutout of the season.

The game started off rather slow with both teams showing little aggressiveness on the offensive side. But after Smalley put a shot on goal in the 17th minute, the Panthers didn’t hold back.

Milwaukee dominated possession in the first period, recording seven shots, compared to zero for Western Illinois. The second period was a similar story as the Panthers ended the contest with an 18-to-7 advantage in shots.

Redshirt junior midfielder Maria Stephans tallied four shots (two on goal) and redshirt freshman midfielder Olivia Wright added three shots (one on goal) to pace the Panther offensive attack along with Smalley.

Milwaukee will be off until Friday when they return to the pitch to face Illinois State on the road. They will then travel to Indianapolis, Ind. for a match against Butler on Sunday.

Volleyball: The Panthers will open the 2015 season at home when they host the 2015 Pepsi Panther Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Milwaukee will play Western Michigan on Friday evening before having a double header against Furman University and Missouri State on Saturday at the Klotsche Center.

Men’s Soccer: Despite a strong showing, the Panthers were unable to execute in their final exhibition game of the year, falling to 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifier SIU Edwardsville 2-0 on Friday evening in front of over 2,000 fans at Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Ill.

It was a scoreless affair until the 68th minute when the Cougars’ TC Hall found the back of the net from six yards out. The Cougars were then able to tack on an insurance goal in the 86th minute when Jason Hackett was able to connect from 12 yards out after a cross-field pass from Carl Hinkson.

Milwaukee put pressure on SIU Edwardsville’s defense, but they failed to capitalize on any scoring opportunities.

Senior Declan Rodriguez set the tone for the Panther offensive attack registering three shots on goal, as Milwaukee finished with a total of eight shots on goal.

Up next for the Panthers is the season opener against Evansville at home on Friday evening before they shuffle off to Omaha, Neb. for a Sunday afternoon contest.

Stay tuned next week for the second edition of the Milwaukee Panthers Fall Sports Roundup to be up to date on everything happening with these three successful programs.

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