Soccer Preview: Road trippin' to Iowa this weekend

 WIAC Weekly Soccer Notes | Cornell Live Stats | Cornell Live Video

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (1-4-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) will spend all of the 2019 season on the road,. The soccer field in the Nelson Athletic Complex is under renovation, with an artificial surface field to highlight the renovation. The Blue Devils were originally scheduled to play four conference games in Menomonie, but weather and field conditions have taken that option away.

The Blue Devils (1-4-0, 0-0-0 WIAC)  will travel to Iowa to take on Cornell College (2-2-0, 0-0-0 MWC), Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m.  This will be the first meeting between the two programs.

JUST AN ODD SCHEDULE THIS YEAR: The Blue Devils are road warriors this year. Four conference games that were originally to be played in Menomonie have been moved.  The Blue Devils will play UW-Stevens Point, Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. at UW-River Falls; UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Oct. 12 has been changed to 4:30 .m. at UW-River Falls.; UW-Whitewater, Saturday, Oct. 26 has been changed to 10 a.m. at UW-Eau Claire's Bollinger Field; and UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. will be at UW-Eau Claire's Bollinger Field. Stout will host Minnesota-Morris, Sunday, Oct. 27 at the UW-River Falls field. All of Stout's non-conference games are on the road. That will turn around next season when the new Stout facility is expected to be ready.

ON-LINE: Broadcast of Live Stats at home games is still up in the air.  When the Nelson Field facility is completed, the facility is expected to have complete network capabilities. 

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils have been all over the board this season, posting one goal losses, a two goal loss, a two goal win and getting blown out. Claudia Anderson has started all five games and has stopped a whopping 60 shots on net, an average of 11.80 saves per game, far and above tops in the wIAC. . Rachel Washington, Ariel Kuchta, Hannah Kirchner and Rachel Younker have each scored a goal. If the schedule hasn't gotten screwy enough, the Blue Devils had a game at Hamline University, Sept. 11, postponed to Oct. 13. The Blue Devils were beaten by Carleton College, 5-0, Sept. 14.  |  Carleton College Story and Stats 

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils last season had 17 freshmen on the squad and now many of those freshmen return with a year of collegiate experience under their belt. Sophomore Marissa Steele returns as Stout leading scorer from last season after driving in three goals and three assists. Senior tri-captain Bella Pedlar (Rogers, Minn) added three goals. Senior tri-captains Sarah Dickmann (Shawano) and Hannah Kirchner (La Crosse) added to the scoring, Dickmann with a goal and assist and Kirchner matching Steele in assists with three. Junior Lexi Fernandez (St. Charles, Minn) and sophomores Rachel Washington (Milwaukee), Ariel Kuchta Green Bay) and Caylee Boone (Eau Claire) each scored their first collegiate goals last year. Junior Lexie Wescott (Lake Geneva) and sophomore Kali Brahs (Lindstrom, Minn) each notched an assist.  Claudia Anderson (So, North Branch, Minn) returns after playing 14 games in front of the twine, recording 91 saves. Rachel Nowak (Jr, Lomira), all 6-foot-2 of her, returns to the goalie box after a year off. Nowak started two games in 2017, playing in four, earning a goals against average of 0.95. Freshman goalie Erica Seitz (Osseo, Minn), scheduled to wear the unconventional goalie number of 50, earned all-conference honors playing in a large school conference in the Twin Cities area.  | Season Preview  |  2018 Statistics


A LOOK AT CORNELL:  Over the last two matches, the Rams have piled up 11 total goals, a 9-0 win over North Central, Sept. 7, and a 2-0 win over MacMurray College, Sept. 14. The team had a scheduled game with Iowa Wesleyan scheduled for Sept. 17 postponed. Ashley Quesada has scored three goals and an assist. Sam O'Brien and Sydney Hancox each have two goals with O'Brien two assists and Hancox one assist. Eight players have scored at least one goal so far this season.  | Season Statistics

THE RAMS LAST TIME OUT:  The Cornell women's soccer team played a strong all-around game in their 2-0 victory over MacMurray Saturday. Sam O'Brien (SO/Evergreen, Colo.) provided a goal and an assist to lead the Rams (2-2), who shutout their opponent for the second straight match. O'Brien scored just 1:21 into the game on a deflected shot from Maddalin Doran (FR/Maple Grove, Minn.) to give the Rams the early lead. Sofia Schnur (SR/Redwood City, Calif.) tallied her first goal of the season from a cross by O'Brien 20 minutes into the second half to seal the victory The Rams outshot MacMurray (1-3) 19-1. Schur attempted five shots to lead the Rams. Doran, Avery Wyse (JR/Arvada, Colo.), and Sydney Hancox (FR/Cedar Rapids, Iowa) attempted two shots each as well. Starting goalkeeper Elise Thomason-Larsen (SO/Superior, Colo.) played the first 58 minutes of the game to get the win. Nicole Trenholm (SO/Plainfield, Ill.) finished the final 32 minutes to complete the shutout for the Rams.. | MacMurray Game Story and Stats 

THE SERIES: This is the first meeting between the two programs.


BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Week Three: Offensive athlete of the week: none; Defensive athlete of the week: none...Week Two: Offensive athlete of the week: none; Defensive athlete of the week: Claudia Anderson, So, North Branch, Minn. Week One: Offensive athlete of the week: Rachel Washington, So, Milwaukee, Wis. (Shorewood); Defensive athlete of the week: none.

TEAM CAPTAINS: Blue Devil team captains for the 2019 season are Sarah Dickmann, Bella Pedlar and Hannah Kirchner.

UW-STOUT COACH RYAN RAUFUS: Coach Ryan Raufus (56-76-19) is in his ninth 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.

TWENTY-FOUR 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 continue the season-long road trip by traveling to St. Mary's University, Wednesday, Sept. 25 for a 7 p.m. contest.