Milwaukee Panthers Women’s Sports Roundup

It was another hectic week for the Milwaukee Panthers women’s soccer and volleyball teams, as each team competed in two Horizon League matches.

The women’s soccer team began their week on a chilly Wednesday evening, traveling a few hours north to go head-to-head with instate rival Green Bay. This was a hard fought match, but Green Bay was able to walk away victorious, winning 2-0.

This is their first loss to the Phoenix since 2003; however, Milwaukee still owns a remarkable 24-7-1 advantage.

Milwaukee got off to a slow start in the first half, tallying only two shots in the first 45 minutes of play compared to Green Bay, who recorded eight shots and a goal.

Although the Phoenix scored in the 58th minute, to take a 2-0 lead, the Panthers didn’t quit, nearly finding the back of the net numerous times.

Following the Phoenix goal, Taylor Swittel and Morgan LaPlant both sent shots that forced the Phoenix keeper to make diving saves to hold the Panthers scoreless.

Milwaukee was outshot, 11-8, on the night, but they did hold the advantage in corner kicks 4-1.

The Panthers came out flat in the first half, and while they did play better in the second half, it wasn’t enough. This was a disappointing result, but the Panthers looked to return to their winning ways Saturday afternoon against Wright State.

It was a cold, breezy afternoon day, but the Panthers offense was on fire, recording 17 shots compared to only two for the Raiders. Although the Panthers dominated the match from the opening minutes, the Raiders were able to take advantage of their only opportunity, winning 1-0.

Maria Stephans led the Milwaukee attack, firing five shots, with one of them being on goal. Krissy Dorre was not to far behind, recording three shots on the afternoon.

Besides holding the advantage in shots, the Panthers also recorded more shots on goal, 4-1, and corner kicks, 7-0.

This was another disappointing outcome, as Milwaukee was clearly the better squad. The difference in this match was the ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

With this loss, Milwaukee now slides all the way down into eighth place in the conference standings with only three conference games remaining. These upcoming games are all must win situations; as only the top six teams move on to participate in the conference tournament.

Up next, the Panthers will take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Saturday beginning at noon. This will be the Panthers final home match of the regular season, so make sure to come down to classic Engelmann Stadium to cheer on the Panthers to victory.

The volleyball squad also had a busy week, playing their two conference matches on the road. They traveled to Ohio to face Cleveland State on Friday night before making the short journey to play Youngstown State Saturday afternoon.

Against the Vikings the Panthers played arguably their best match of the season, winning in three straight sets (25-15, 25-22, 25-17). This was an incredible team effort that saw the Panthers play disciplined in all areas of the game.

Kayla Price registered a game-high 41 assists, while Julie Kolinske continued to dominate, tallying 14 kills. Myanna Ruiz also recorded 12 kills, while Maggie Dunbar added 10 kills.

With this win, the Panthers remained undefeated in conference play, holding a 4-0 record.

After having an unbelievable team effort to win against the Vikings the night before, the Panthers were unable to continue the momentum in to their match against the Penguins.

Youngstown State played well on their home floor, handing Milwaukee their first conference loss in three straight sets (25-19, 26-24, 29-27).

Kolinske continued to play at a high level, recording 18 kills on a .361 hitting percentage. Dunbar also had a big day, tying her career-high with 17 kills.

Kayla Price led the Panthers with 38 assists, while Taylor Golabowski recorded a team-high 12 digs.

All three sets were extremely close, but the Panthers were unable to counter the Penguins’ attack.

Milwaukee will look to rebound after this loss with three matches this week, all of them being at home. On Tuesday, the Panthers will take a quick break from Horizon League action facing Western Michigan at 7 p.m. before returning to conference play on Friday and Saturday with matches against Wright State and Oakland.

The Golden Grizzlies are tied with the Panthers for the conference lead with a 4-1 record, so this should be an exciting, but challenging match.

This past week brought mixed results for the women’s soccer and volleyball teams as each team was tested in conference play. This is a crucial week for the women’s soccer team, needing to win on Saturday, as they attempt to make the conference tournament. Volleyball also has a big week with three matches, including a challenging test against Oakland on Saturday.

These matches for both squads are always exciting and competitive, and make sure to come check them out while cheering the Panthers to victory.

Stay tuned next week for the eighth edition of the Milwaukee Panthers Women’s Sports Roundup to be up to date on everything happening with these two successful programs.

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