Soccer Preview: Falcons the foe in conference opener Wednesday

Live Stats | Live Video | WIAC Weekly Soccer Notes |  UW-Stevens Point Live Video

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (2-5-1, 0-0-0 WIAC) open conference play when they host UW-River Falls (6-2-1, 0-0-0 WIAC), Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. then travel to UW-Stevens Point (6-1-1, 0-0-0 WIAC), Saturday, Sept. 29 for a 1 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 23 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 hopefully that has 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: Viterbo University scored three goals within 20 minutes of game time on their way to a 3-1 win over UW-Stout Sept. 18 at Nelson Field. The Blue Devils had trouble generating offense against the V-Hawks, who held a 23-6 advantage in shots and put 13 shots on net. Viterbo's Rebecca Joas scored just before intermission, getting a goal in the 44th minute. After the break, Nicole D'Ambrose scored in the 51st minute and Sydney King scored in the 64th minute to round out the visitor's scoring. The Blue Devils did break up the shut out when Lindsay Penkala took a pass from Kali Brahs and scored with five seconds left on the clock. Melissa Ferrise made her first start in the goal and turned away 10 shots. | Viterbo Game and Stats

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils have been able to spread the scoring wealth around. Ten different players have accounted for Stout's 14 goals with Sydney Kasper scoring three. Bella Pedlar and freshman Lindsay Penkala each have two goals. Marissa Steele, Allison Klotz each have a goal and two assists.Katie Sukanen has a goal and an assist. Rachel Washington, Lexi Fernandez, Ariel Kucht and Caylee Boone each have a goal. Faith Dube, Lexie Wescott, Kali Brahs and Hannah Kirchner each have an assist. Stout has utilized both freshmen goalies. Claudia Anderson has started all seven games and has an ERA of 2.47. Melissa Ferrise made her first collegiate start against Viterbo University last week and has a GAA of 1.72. Kasper, a team captain, currently has 23 career goals, putting her seventh on the UW-Stout all-time list. Her 56 career points ranks her 10th on the Stout list and her 10 career assists is 17th. | 2018 Season Preview | Statistics


A LOOK AT UW-RIVER FALLS: Heading into conference play, the Falcons have the second-leading goal scorer in the WIAC in Camryn Altnau, who has punched in eight goals so far this season to go along with her two assists. Maggie Koehler leads the Falcons in points, generating four goals and a team-best five assists. Kari Rollo has three goals and Alayna Westerman two goals. In the net, Amanda Ladue has a 5-1-0 record and a goals against average of 1.30. Haley Crosby has started four games and has a GAA of 1.89. The Falcons have outscored their opponents, 25-14. The Falcons' only losses have come to St. Mary's (2-1) and Wartburg (5-1). They tied Northwestern (2-2). River Falls, picked to finish seventh in the WIAC, have won five of their last six games.  | Season Statistics

THE FALCONS THE LAST TIME OUT: The Falcons surpassed last season's win total with their sixth win of the season Sunday, Sept. 23, with a 2-1 against Concordia-Moorhead. UW-River Falls trailed for a majority of the game but finally went ahead in the 86th minute when Maggie Koehler found Camryn Altnau for her eighth goal of the season. | Concordia Game Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME RIVER FALLS AND STOUT MET: UW-Stout extended their unbeaten streak to four as the Blue Devil defense made an early second half goal stand up on their way to a 1-0 conference win at UW-River Falls, Oct. 4, 2017. Sydney Kasper scored in the 54th minute, with an assist by Jessica Ingle, to get onto the scoreboard after a scoreless first half. For Kasper, it was her fifth goal of the season and her third goal in three games. For Ingle, it was her first assist of the season. The Blue Devils were outshot by the Falcons, 16-12, but Stout outshot the Falcons  on net, 6-5. Both goalies, the Blue Devils' Lynn Johnson and the Falcons' Haley Crosby, each recorded five saves. | Game Story and Stats

THE SERIES: The Falcons hold a 10-9-6 lead in the series. The teams are 1-1-1 over the last three meetings and 2-2-1 over the last five meetings.


A LOOK AT UW-STEVENS POINT: Maddy Hardyman leads the Pointers with five goals and two assists. Three of her goals have been game-winners. Kortnee Hass, Gracie Wendels and Esme Reinders each have three goals. Lexi Pawlawski has worked all by one game in the goal and has a conference best GAA of 0.90. UW-Stevens Point's nine wins a year ago were the most since 13 victories in 2012. The Pointers return 12 of 14 individuals that recorded at least one point in 2017. Sophomore forward Francesca Hamilton led the team with nine goals and 21 points, while junior forward Maddy Hardyman was second with seven goals and 18 points. Sophomore midfielder Gracie Wendels finished third with five goals and 14 points. | Season Statistics

THE POINTERS THE LAST TIME OUT: Gracie Wendels scored twice in the first eight minutes of the game as the Pointers went on to a 3-0 win over Ripon College, Sept. 19. Alexis Peterson added a goal in the 78th minute. The Pointers host Carroll University, Sept. 26, so their meeting with the Blue Devils will be their conference opener.  | Ripon Game Story and Stats

THE LAST TIME STEVENS POINT AND STOUT MET: The teams met twice in Menomonie, tying in the regular season, 1-1, and Stout winning a first round WIAC playoff game, 2-1, on Hannah Kirchner's game winner in overtime. For Kirchner, it was her first goal of the season. In the regular season game, the Pointers Gracie Wendels scored in the 27th minute and Stout's Sydney Kasper tied the game in the 30th minute.  | WIAC Game Story and Stats | Regular Season Game Story and Stats

THE SERIES: The Pointers hold an 18-6-1 lead in the series. Stout is 4-0-1 over the last five games with the Pointers.


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 (55-64-19) 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, Angela 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 will be at St. Olaf College, Wednesday, Oct. 3 for a 4 p.m. contest, then will travel to UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Oct. 6 for a 2 p.m. conference battle, marking the first week this season the Blue Devils do not have a home game.