Soccer Preview: Blue Devils look to get back on track Tuesday with Bethel

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THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (2-3-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) return home to host Bethel University (3-1-0, 0-0-0 MIAC), the team's fourth MIAC opponent of the season, Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Stout will be at Ripon College (0-2-0, 0-0-0 MWC), Sunday, Sept. 16 for a 3:30 p.m. contest.    

After losing nine starters, to say the Blue Devils will be a different looking team may be a bit of an understatement. The Blue Devils do return two-time All-WIAC pick Sydney Kasper. With 22 career goals, Kasper is currently ranked seventh on the Blue Devil all-time goal scoring list. Kasper last season scored six goals and five assists.

ON-LINE: All Blue Devil home soccer games will be available by Live Stats, and by Live Video, network willing. There have been issues on the field in the past, but that appears to have been rectified.

PARKING: Parking on the UW-Stout campus is restricted during the business week. For games at Nelson Field during the week, please plan to park in Lot 29. Do not park in Lot 4, which is a reserved lot for students that live in the residence halls.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: :In a game that was moved to Winona, Minn., due to water standing on Nelson Field, the Blue Devils lost at St. Mary's, 2-1, Sept. 5, then returned to Nelson Field for a 6-0 win over UW-Superior, Sept. 8, then lost to Carleton College, 4-0, Sept. 9.

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils have been able to spread the scoring wealth around. Seven different players have accounted for Stout's nine goals with Sydney Kasper scoring two and an assist. Bella Pedlar has two goals. Marissa Steele and Katie Sukanen each have a goal and an assist. Lexi Fernandez, Ariel Kuchta and Lindsey Penkala each have a goal. Allison Klotz leads the team with two assists. Faith Dube has an assist. Stout has been able to use both freshmen goalies. Claudia Anderson has started all five games and has an ERA of 2.35. Melissa Ferrise has come on in two games and has yet to allow a goal. Coming off a third place finish and a fourth seed into the WIAC tournament, the Blue Devils finished 2017 at 9-6-5 overall and 3-1-3 in the WIAC. The Blue Devils lost nine starters from last year's squad. Two-time all-WIAC selection and all-region pick Sydney Kasper leads the way for the Blue Devils after scoring six goals and five assists. Kasper, a team captain, currently has 22career goals, tying her for seventh on the UW-Stout all-time list. Her 50 career points ranks her 11th on the Stout list and her 11 career assists is 17th. Sarah Dickmann scored three goals last season and Hannah Kirchner had a goal and three assists. Bella Pedlar scored her first career goal last season. The Blue Devils will need to replace nearly their entire starting defense. Senior captain Melissa Rice returns to defense. | 2018 Season Preview | Statistics


A LOOK AT BETHEL UNIVERSITY:  Bethel scored 12 goals over the last two games, downing Bethany Lutheran, 8-0, and Northland College, 4-0. Britney Monteon has three goals and three assists. Rachel Waterman and Brooke Ogne each have three goals. Hannah Van Sickle and Kaylee Peterson have split time in the net. Peterson has started three games and has yet to give up a goal.  Eight players have scored at least one goal. Bethel came in at No. 7 in the MIAC poll. Bethel forward Maggie Sipe has been an offensive force for the Royals since arriving on campus two years ago, totaling 54 points through her first two seasons. Only Augsburg's Ashley St. Aubin has accounted for more scores among MIAC competitors during that time period.  | Season Statistics

THE ROYALS THE LAST TIME OUT:  The Bethel University women's soccer team dominated Bethany Lutheran College Thursday afternoon, racking up eight goals while limiting the Vikings to just three total shots and zero scores for an 8-0 victory. The Royals got off 19 shots on goal and 38 shots total while two of BLC's three shots were on goal but both were stopped by freshman goalkeeper Hannah Van Sickle. | Bethany Lutheran Game Story and Stats | The Bethel University women's soccer team returned to action just 24 hours after putting up eight goals on Bethany Lutheran with another lopsided victory of 4-0 over Northland College. Bethel fired off 28 shots (18 on goal) to just one from the visiting LumberJills. In the two recent contests combined Bethel has scored twelve goals to none while outshooting their opponents 66-4.  | Northland Game Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME BETHEL AND STOUT MET:  All of the scoring took place in the first 11 minutes of the game as UW-Stout and Bethel University played to a 1-1 double overtime draw Sept. 21, 2017, at Nelson Field. The Royals drew first blood when Maggie Sipe scored on a cross in the middle from Sophie Kendall in the third minute of the game, but Stout answered back in the 11th minute when Sydney Kasper headed in the ball on a pass from Ryanne Millis. After that, it was a series of missed opportunities for both teams. | Game Story and Stats

THE SERIES: The Blue Devils hold a 6-3-3 lead in the series. The Blue Devils have not lost to Bethel since Sept. 22, 2009, but over the last five games, Stout is 2-0-3. The teams have tied in their last two meetings and have tied in three of the last four outings. Stout notched the last win, a 2-1 decision in 2013 on Nelson Field.


A LOOK AT RIPON COLLEGE:  The Red Hawks have posted a winning record in five of their last six seasons but have not made the MWC Tournament since 2014. All-MWC forward Paige Pierce hopes to lead the team back to the postseason in 2018. Pierce led the team with 11 goals and three assists for 25 points which tied her for the fifth-most points in the conference, and she also tied for the league lead with five game-winning goals. Brianna Schnell and Maeve Kim also return after tying for second on the team with five goals and added four and three assists respectively, while Maggie Bouque tied for fourth with three goals. Goalkeeper Miye Aoki-Kramer returns after ranking second in the MWC in save percentage (.845) and third in saves (125) and saves per game (7.81).   | Season Statistics

THE RED HAWKS LAST TIME OUT:  The Red Hawks lost, 4-3, in overtime to UW-Platteville in the season opener and lost 3-1 to Marian University. The Red Hawks are scheduled to play Lakeland University, Sept. 12, and UW-River Falls, Sept. 14, before facing the Blue Devils. Of the team's six first games, the Red Hawks will host five. 

THE LAST TIME RIPON AND STOUT MET:  The teams have only met once, with Stout taking an 8-1 win on Sept. 12, 2010. Courtney Tideman and Jessica Price each scored three goals in the game for the Blue Devils.  | Game Story and Stats


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...2017: Midfielder Sydney Kasper earned first team All-WIAC honors as well as all-district honors and Academics All-District honors. Forward Kaitlyn Hess was also a first team all-conference pick...defender Jessica Ingle was the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week after Stout defeated River Falls and tied with Stevens Point, 1-1...Sydney Kasper scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 win over Hamline University, Sept. 26, and was named the WIAC offensive player of the week...Lynn Johnson was selected as the WIAC defensive player of the week after making 16 saves in a 1-1 tie with 12th ranked UW-Whitewater, Sept. 30...Kaitlyn Hess was selected as the WIAC offensive player of the week after scoring two goals - including the game winner against Viterbo in a 1-0 win Sept. 23 - in a week that Stout went 1-1-1...Sydney Kasper was selected as the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week after scoring a goal and assist in a 4-0 win over UW-Superior, Sept. 13.

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 (55-62-18) 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 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 Blue Devils host Viterbo University, Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m..