Soccer Preview: Blue Devils at Hamline Tuesday, La Crosse Saturday

Live Stats vs. Hamline | Live Video vs. Hamline   |  Live Stats vs. La Crosse | Live Video vs. La Crosse

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: After starting off the season at 6-1-2, The Blue Devils (6-3-2, 2-2-0 WIAC) have dropped their last two contests, both conference tilts, and will look to get back on the winning track with a pair of games this week. Stout will be at Hamline University, (3-6-1, 1-2-1 MIAC) Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., then will travel to conference leader UW-La Crosse, (9-3, 3-0 WIAC) Saturday, Oct. 10 for a 5 p.m. twilight contest.

ON-LINE: All Blue Devil home soccer games will be available by Live Stats, network providing.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: Stout controlled the field for most of the night, but could not put the ball in the back of the net and lost 2-0 to UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 30. Oshkosh scored in the 10th minute and went on to a 1-0 win at Nelson Field, Oct. 3. | UW-Eau Claire Complete Story and Stats | UW-La Crosse Complete Story and Stats

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT: After scoring in the eight previous games, the Blue Devils have been shutout in the last two contests, both conference contests. Paige Meyer has played all of the minutes between the pipes and is posting a 0.77 goals against average. Jenna Kizlik, Addy Maher and Sydney Kasper have all scored three goals, with Kizlik and Maher each recording an assist. Kasper has one assist. Megan Collins, Sarah Todey and Kelly Conn each have two goals, with Conn and Collins each recording an assist. Collins has scored all of her points since moving up to the midfield. Lindsey Concon has come off the bench to add two assists and defender Haley Wentz has two assists, the first of her collegiate career. Camille Fawcett also has an assist. The Blue Devils have scored 15 total goals so far this season after 11 games, four short of the total 19 they scored in all of last year. Defensively, the Blue Devils have allowed nine goals. | 2015 Stats

ON THE RIGHT PAIGE: When UW-Platteville scored off in the 78th minute of UW-Stout's 3-1 win at UW-Platteville, the goal stopped the longest scoreless streak in Blue Devil goalkeeper Paige Meyer's collegiate career. After allowing a goal in double overtime to Viterbo University, Sept. 16, Meyer did not allow a goal for 358 minutes, four games later at Platteville. So far this season, Meyer has five shutouts. Charla Buxbaum (2005) and Melissa Ballweg (2002) share the season record for most shutouts with eight. Ballweg (2001-04) holds the career shutout record with 21. Meyer currently has 13 career shutouts, second on the all-time list. The teams from 2003, 2004 and 2005 produced 10 shutouts each season.

QUICK BLUE DEVIL PREVIEW: After two seasons, the Blue Devils will be without the sister-sister tandem of Lauren Kizlik and Jenna Kizlik. Both were two-time all-WIAC selections and both were among the team leaders in scoring the past two seasons. Lauren, who led Stout in scoring last season as a sophomore, transferred, but will not play soccer at her new school. Jenna returns as a team captain in the midfield after scoring two goals and dishing off three assists last year. Kelly Conn returns on top after a two-goal, four-assist season to lead all returners. With the exception of Lauren Kizlik, the Blue Devils return all of the players who scored goals for them last season, but Lauren Kizlik scored seven of Stout's total 19 goals. The Blue Devils also return all but one player who scored assists, with Conn leading the way with four assists and Jenna Kizlik with three. Defensively, the Blue Devils allowed a maximum of three goals in only two games last season and posted five shutouts. Five games were decided by one goals and three ended in ties. Paige Meyer returns in goal, where she defended the net in 17 games last year, putting up a GAA of 1.15. All-WIAC defender and team captain Vanessa Wrobel will anchor the back line. As a team, Stout is averaged 1.06 goals per game and gave up 1.17 goals per game. The Blue Devils were picked to finish sixth in a WIAC preseason poll.


A LOOK AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY: Arendie Louter and Aubrey Stenson each have three goals with Louter adding two assists. Anna Briscoe and Amy Ramras have each started five games in the goal. Briscoe has two shutouts and has a GAA of 0.96 to go with a record of 2-2-1. Stenson has a GAA of 2.50 with a 1-4-1 record. | 2015 Stats

HAMLINE THE LAST TIME OUT: The Pipers lost a 2-1 decision to St. Thomas, Oct. 3.  Jasmine Lee gave Hamline the early edge when she converted a feed from Jensen Sevening 37:13 into the game. The Tommies, however, tied the game two minutes later and scored six minutes into the second half for the goal that would be the difference. The Pipers had their chances -- most notably a 5-1 edge in second half corner kicks (and 7-3 for the game) and a 10-9 overall edge in shots but could not get the equalizer. GK Anna Briscoe had five saves for Hamline. | Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND HAMLINE MET: The Pipers captured a 2-0 decision in Menomonie, Oct. 7, 2014. Hamline scored once in each half with the first goal coming in the 10th minute when Malya Hirshkowitz sent a looping shot to the upper right corner of the net that just evaded Stout goalie Paige Meyer's (Jr, Beldenville) outstretched arms. The Pipers added their second goal in the 88th minute when Anna Futterer poked one past Meyer. Stout's best chance at scoring came on a Kelly Conn penalty kick early in the second half that Hamline goalie Amy Ramras just got her hands on. | Story and Stats


A LOOK AT UW-LA CROSSE: Margaret Haring leads the Eagles with five goals and an assist. Alex Cording and Natalie Herzog each have three goals with Cording adding four assists and Herzog three assists. Kennedy Brault has recorded three shutouts and has a GAA of 0.89.The Eagles have won five games in a row as of this weekend. The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in a WIAC preseason poll. | 2015 Stats

LA CROSSE THE LAST TIME OUT: The Eagles play St. Mary's University before hosting the Blue Devils La Crosse downed UW-Eau Claire, 1-0, Saturday. The Eagles tallied the only goal of the match Saturday at 23:13 with Cassie Handrick scoring her second goal of the season.  Alex Cording recorded her team-leading fourth goal of the season.| UW-Eau Calire Story and Stats | St. Mary's Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND UW-LA CROSSE MET: The teams played to a 0-0 tie in Menomonie, Oct. 4, 2014. Stout's Paige Meyer saved nine shots, including a crucial save as time expired in regulation, as the Blue Devils matchup with UW-La Crosse ended in a scoreless tie on a cold and windy afternoon at Nelson Field. Both teams attacked the nets all game, but were unable to come away with anything to show for it. The Eagles attempted 17 shots (nine on goal) and the Blue Devils launched 12 shots (two on goal) of their own. | Game Story and Stats


AWARDS: Sarah Todey was the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week after a two goal week, including the game winner in double overtime against St. Scholastica...Nikky Sedivy earned WIAC defensive player of the week honors after the opening week of the season as Stout allowed only one goal in two overtime ties...Addy Maher was the Blue Devils offensive player of the week and Nikki Sedivy was the defensive player of the week after the first week of the season...2014: Jenna Kizlik and Vanessa Wrobel were all-WIAC selections, Kizlik for the second consecutive season...Paige Meyer was the WIAC defensive player of the week Oct. 21 after holding nationally ranked UW-Whitewater to one goal in double overtime.

TEAM CAPTAINS: Blue Devil team captains for the 2015 season are Sarah Ulrich, Vanessa Wrobel and Jenna Kizlik.

UW-STOUT COACH RYAN RAUFUS: Coach Ryan Raufus (36-37-10) is in his fifth year as the head coach of the Blue Devils. Raufus played his college ball at Springfield College in Massachusetts and came to Stout after coaching at La Crosse Logan High School and La Crescent, Minn., High School.

QUICK HITS: The Blue Devils posted five shutouts last year, but were kept off the scoreboard 11 times. Stout had two offensive breakouts, a 6-0 conference win over UW-Superior and a 6-2 non-conference win over Gustavus Adolphus. The Blue Devils were in the middle of the conference pack in just about every offensive and defensive statistical category.

TWENTY YEARS OF BLUE DEVIL SOCCER: After many years as a club sport, UW-Stout became the ninth WIAC team to join the varsity ranks during the 1995 season. The Blue Devils took their lumps to open the season, making their premiere by hosting Augsburg College, Sept. 10, in a 7-0 loss. Stout opened the conference season three days later at Nelson Field, hosting perennial conference powerhouse UW-Stevens Point, dropping a 6-0 decision. The Blue Devils finally broke onto the scoreboard in their third game. While hosting UW-Platteville, Sept. 17, Kari Stapleton scored in the 70th minute on an assist from Jenny Tyson in a 2-1 loss. The Blue Devils would get their first-ever win, a 3-0 decision at Martin Luther College, Sept. 23, collecting goals from Amie Frasier, Tyson and Joann Sognesand. Defender Andrea Schroeder was a second team all-conference selection in 1995, then was selected to the first team in 1996.

Members of that first 1995 team include: April Amys, Beeta Bastani, Tammy Beuch, Carrie Blaska, Jen Chapple, Michelle Coon, Amie Frasier, Aimee Grimm, Jamie Jester, Julie Kremer, Dorian Loberg, Amy Lyons, Kristin Manion, Anglea McDowell, Andrea Schroeder, Joann Sognesand, Kari Stapleton, Jenny Tyson, Alisa Zimmerman. Lisa Petruccelli was the Blue Devils first coach, leading the team from 1995-98, followed by Dave Morris (1999-2005), Meagan Frank (2006-10) and Ryan Raufus (2011-present). | 1995 Statistics

SAINTLY SCHEDULE: The Blue Devils may feel blessed (or not) after going through the early part of their schedule when they play five schools named after saints - College of St. Benedict (Sept. 5), St. Catherine (Sept. 8), St. Thomas (Sept. 12), St. Scholastica (Sept. 20) and St. Mary's (Sept. 23). The Blue Devils went 4-0-1 against all of the saints combined

DOWN THE ROAD: The Blue Devils will be at UW-River Falls, Wednesday, Oct. 14 for a 7 p.m. contest.