The UW Oshkosh women’s soccer team earned an upset victory and a tie this past week as the Titans tied UW River Falls and defeatedt UW-Whitewater.
The Titans upset the defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion and nationally ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday by a score of 1-0. It’s the first time Oshkosh has defeated the Warhawks since 2015.
UW Oshkosh took advantage of its opportunities as the Titans shot the ball just four times but were able to cash in when junior midfielder Kendra Jepson scored the lone goal of the match off of a penalty kick. This is the third goal of the season for the midfielder.
UW-Whitewater dominated the offensive attack by attempting 26 shots in the match but could not find the back of the net. Of the 26 shots taken, just 10 were on goal.
UWO junior goalkeeper Jessica Galason had her hands full as she was able to block 10 shots from the net. Galason has been in goal for seven of Titans 11 matches this season; during those games she has compiled 61 saves this season.
Previously, UW Oshkosh came from behind and scored an early goal at the beginning of the second half that eventually led to a 1-1 final score with UW-River Falls on Saturday in River Falls.
UW-River Falls got off to a hot start early on Saturday after Maggie Koehler scored for the Falcons in the beginning minutes of the game. UW Oshkosh trailed for the rest of the first half.
UWO head coach Erin Coppernoll said while the team got off to a rough start, the confidence was still showing with the team.
“Just gotta play harder… we put ourselves up against the wall right away, by not coming out and being aggressive from the first whistle,” Coppernoll said. “But we battled and I told them at halftime they were in it.”
The Titans showed off its youth as freshman Addie Schmitz tied the game with an unassisted goal at the 50th minute of the match. This was Schmitz’ first goal of her career as a Titan.
Schmitz said she looked to get through a pair of defenders before she could drive a shot to the goal.
“I received the ball from an outside pass and dribbled into the center through the middle of two defenders,” Schmitz said. “Once I got just inside the 18 I took a shot that went just to the left of the keeper.”
Coppernoll said the freshman midfielder brings a lot of positive energy to the Titans offensive attack.
“She’s the energizer bunny. She’s everywhere,” Coppernoll said. “I think she’s got a really bright future for us.”
Coppernoll said her energy was showing for the Titans on Saturday.
“[Schmitz] was phenomenal on Saturday, she covered so much ground for us… she was everywhere,” Coppernoll said. “She made some great runs through the midfield, beating defenders and that’s how she got her shot; she outworked a defender, got into open space and took a shot.”
UW-River Falls ended the match with 21 shots over the two-overtime contest. The Falcons compiled 17 shots in regulation and four shots during the two extra-time periods.
The Falcons were led by the seven shots from senior Abby Soderholm, five from senior Kayla Windingstad and two each from sophomore Maggie Koehler, senior Carrie Anderson and sophomore Mariah Troje.
Coppernoll said the opposing style the Falcons play was a key factor the Titans had to deal with.
“River Falls plays very different… they are a very direct team,” Coppernoll said. “They hit big balls and they have very skilled players that can strike balls from distance.”
UW Oshkosh ended up with 12 shots in regulation time and three shots in overtime to reach a total of 15 shots. The Titans leaders in shots were Schmitz and Jepson and two from freshman forward Hannah Zacher.
Jepson had an opportunity to give UW Oshkosh the victory during the extra period, but her kick bounced off the post.
Galason saved 12 shots, including five shots in the second half. She stopped three shots in the first period and three during the first overtime session.
Galason had a crucial last save as she blocked a shot with 6:24 left in the second overtime period. The junior said that she was able to get to the ball just in time despite disruption in the box.
Coppernoll said it’s incredibly important for her to make sure she has the right lineup on the field during extra periods.
“We just make sure we have kids out there that still have gas in the tank,” Coppernoll said. “Playng 110 minutes isn’t easy, especially when it’s a good, physical battle.”
“They got pretty close to our goal and crossed it in and they had a good chance to score,” Galason said. “I was able to get on the end of their shot with defenders and the opponents forwards in front of me, which helped me get the save.”
Coppernoll said she looks to the back defense in situations against talented opposing offenses.
“We got beat 1 v 1 in the midfield, and a girl got through to the box, and we weren’t touched tight in the 18 and the girl was wide open and knocked it home,” Coppernoll said. “There were several mistakes that happened; it was a case of mistake after another. We have to be better in the final third against teams that can shoot.”
On deck for UW Oshkosh will be UW-Platteville as the Titans face the Pioneers on Saturday at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.
