Soccer Preview: Blue Devils close out season at Eau Claire

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (2-12-1, 0-6-0 WIAC) will close out the 2018 season by playing for Paul Bunyan's Axe, traveling to UW-Eau Claire (7-7-2, 3-2-1 WIAC), Saturday, Oct. 27 for a 2 p.m contest. 

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils lost 4-0 to UW-La Crosse, Oct. 17 and 10-3 to UW-Whitewater, Oct. 20. |  UW-La Crosse Story and Stats | UW-Whitewater Story and Stats

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils have been able to spread the scoring around. Ten different players have accounted for Stout's 22 goals with Sydney Kasper scoring six. Bella Pedlar and freshmen Marissa Steele and Lindsay Penkala each have three goals, with Steele matching a team high three assists. Aliison Klotz and Hannah Kirchner also have three assists. Freshman Lindsay Penkala has two goals. Klotz, Katie Sukanen, Rachel Washington, Lexi Fernandez, Ariel Kuchta and Caylee Boone each have a goal. Faith Dube, Lexie Wescott, Kali Brahs, Sarah Dickmann, Sukanen, and Hannah Kirchner each have an assist. Stout has utilized both freshmen goalies. Claudia Anderson has started 13 games and has an GAA of 3.42. Melissa Ferrise has made two starts with six appearances, posting a GAA of 2.48. Brahs and Sam Krugel also had their moments in the net this season. As a team, Stout is averaging 1.47 goals per game and is allowing 2.77. Kasper, a team captain, currently has 26 career goals, putting her sixth on the UW-Stout all-time list. Her 63 career points ranks her seventh on the Stout list and her 11 career assists is 15th. | Statistics


A LOOK AT UW-EAU CLAIRE: The Blugolds are still looking to grab a WIAC playoff berth. Emily Sullivan leads the Blugolds with seven goals and two assists. Sammie Lafaive has a GAA of 1.45. | Season Statistics

THE BLUGOLDS THE LAST TIME OUT: Eau Claire women's soccer team earned a 3-2 overtime win over UW-River Falls on Wednesday, thanks to a game-winning goal by Emily Sullivan.Sullivan notched her team-leading eighth goal of the season – and fifth game-winner – in the 97thminute off an assist from Krista Koeni. | UW-River Falls Game Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME EAU CLAIRE AND STOUT MET: UW-Stout answered UW-Eau Claire in a hurry and went on to a 2-1 win over the Blugolds in the annual "Battle of the Blues" game Oct. 28, 2017, at Nelson Field.. | Game Story and Stats

THE SERIES: The Blugolds lead the series. 18-7-3.



BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Week Eight: Sydney Kasper, Sr, Owatonna, Minn.


AWARDS: 2018: playing in her first collegiate weekend, defender Katie Sukanen was named the WIAC defensive player of the week, Sept. 5, after helping hold Hamline University to one goal and eight shots in a 2-1 win, Aug. 31...
TEAM CAPTAINS: Blue Devil team captains for the 2018 season are Sydney Kasper, Melissa Rice and Sarah Dickmann.

UW-STOUT COACH RYAN RAUFUS: Coach Ryan Raufus (55-71-19) is in his eighth 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. (Raufus began the 2018 season at 53-59-18)

QUICK HITS: The Blue Devils have 16 newcomers to the squad, including 14 freshmen. The team also includes two seniors, four juniors and four sophomores...the team is made up of 13 players from Wisconsin, eight from Minnesota and two from Illinois...former players Kelly Conn and Bethany Hanson join the coaching staff.

TWENTY-THREE 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  
DOWN THE ROAD: The season is over.