Come Out and Cheer on the Panthers on Saturday!

The Milwaukee men's soccer team has started Horizon League play 2-0 after a thrilling last-second double-overtime victory over Green Bay Wednesday evening.

Up next, the Panthers welcome Cleveland State to Engelmann Stadium Saturday night. Need another reason to come out and join the crowd? How about a nice freebie to the first 500 in attendance?? Kick off is 7 p.m. - be there!

Volleyball's National Numbers

Now that we are halfway through the volleyball season - at least in matches played - the NCAA's statistical rankings start to take on a little more merit. And, this week's update finds the Panthers well represented.

As a team, UWM ranks 31st nationally in digs per set and 32nd in kills per set. Milwaukee is also 49th in assists per set and 51st in winning percentage.

On the individual stat lists, freshman Kayla Price is 47th in the country in assists per set (10.75), which Rachel Neuberger is 56th in hitting percentage (.357). Plus, Kerri Schuh is 95th in kills per set, particularly notable because of the great balance the Panthers have had on offense all season long.

Milwaukee vs. Green Bay Match Report

Milwaukee 3; Green Bay 2 (OT2)
Sept. 28, 2011 - Engelmann Stadium

Man of the Match: It has to go to Cody Banks, who netted the game-winner to help UWM reclaim the Chancellor's Cup for the first time since 2007. He subbed into the game in the second overtime just minutes earlier and gave the Panthers one of their latest-ever victories as far as time left on the clock goes. In a night full of great endings in the sports world, the Panthers and Banks added to it.

Offensive Charge: The UWM offense continues to find the net, scoring three more goals to give the team 18 goals on the season. For perspective, the Panthers tallied 17 goals in all of 2010 and just 12 in the 2009 campaign. The team recorded 24 more shots tonight with Banks and Jamie Bladen each scoring, giving UWM its eighth and ninth different player to score goals this season.

Freshman in Net: Josh Rohde made seven saves and is now 2-0 in his first two collegiate starts. The second goal he allowed tonight came on a deflection and he made several highlight-reel saves to keep Green Bay out of the net.

Home Crowd: Another great crowd was on hand tonight, as 891 came out to Engelmann to cheer on the victory, including an enthusiastic student section that managed to join the Panthers' victory pile on the field following Banks' goal. The team is now averaging 868 fans through six home games.

Up next: The Panthers welcome Cleveland State Saturday night, starting at 7 p.m.

Vienna Behnke Makes UWM Singing Debut

Milwaukee women's soccer freshman Vienna Behnke surprised her team by performing the national anthem before its Sept. 11 game against Wisconsin. We talked to Vienna about her singing debut, performing on September 11 and surprising her teammates with her gift. Stay tuned to the end for her uncut performance.

Milwaukee v. Detroit Match Report

#15/12 Milwaukee 2, Detroit 1
Sept. 25, 2011 – Engelmann Stadium (Milwaukee, Wis.)

Woman of the Match: Sarah Hagen. Sarah assisted on the first goal and scored the second. It was the fourth-straight game-winner for her. She finished the weekend with a pair of three-point games and now has 13 goals and 4 assists this season.

NOTES: Milwaukee is now 15-7-2 all-time against Detroit … Makenzie Gillaspie came out of a game for the first time this season when she suffered an injury and did not return in the 18th minute … this was the first game Milwaukee played in any precipitation this season … Hagen’s four-straight game-winners is a school record … three other times a player has scored game-winners in three-straight games … Hagen now has 80 career goals and 181 points … her goals are tied for 18th in NCAA Division I history … her assists are tied with Mara Thompson for fifth in school history … Keara Thompson is now seventh in school history with 20 assists and tied for eighth with 46 career points … Hagen already has seven game-winners this season, tying her own school record (2010) … her 30 points are already tied for ninth-most in a single season.

Iron Woman Watch (Played every minute this season): 1015+ minutes (Forbes)

Up Next: The Panthers heads to Wright State next Saturday.

Match Report - Horizon League Weekend #2

Match #14 – Milwaukee 3, Butler 0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-14)
Match #15 – Milwaukee 3, Wright State 0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-16)
Butler Recap and Stats
Wright State Recap and Stats

Player Of The Weekend: You could pick any one of five hitters and not get much of an argument, but when the offense is that good it is hard to not pick the setter as the star. Kayla Price averaged 12.33 assists per set in the two wins, leading the Panthers to better than .300 hitting performances in both matches. Over the first four matches of league play, she is atop the assists chart. And, on the overall stat sheet, she is second in the league in the category.

Key Stats: There was nothing to complain about when it came to the Panther offense this weekend. UWM hit .335 over the two matches, committing just 22 hitting errors while averaging nearly 16 kills per set. Five different players averaged better than two kills for set and none of those players hit worse than .283 for the weekend.

News and Notes: UWM is 4-0 in Horizon League play for the second-straight season … the Panthers hit .351 Saturday against Wright State after hitting .317 in the win over Butler Friday. This is the first time Milwaukee has hit better than .300 in back-to-back matches since 2006 … that year, UWM hit .351 against Wright State on Nov. 11 and .301 against Youngstown State Nov. 17 … the Panthers also hit better than .300 in three-straight matches earlier that season, doing it in all three contests at a tournament at Alabama … Milwaukee is hitting .288 in league play so far this season … after winning eight matches in four or five sets to start the season, the Panthers have won in three sets three times in a row … UWM has won 18 of its last 19 against Wright State … the Panthers are now 35-4 at home against league teams under Susie Johnson … Morgan Potter has now reached double figures in digs 50 times in her career. She has 942 career digs … Rachel Neuberger (.750 vs. Wright State) and Mackenzie Millis (.700 vs. Butler) both set collegiate-bests for hitting percentage this weekend.

Up Next: UWM hits the road for the first time in league, heading to Ohio for the weekend. Action starts Friday night with a first-place showdown at Cleveland State.

Milwaukee v. Western Illinois Match Report

#15/12 Milwaukee 4, Western Illinois 0
Sept. 23, 2011 – Engelmann Stadium (Milwaukee, Wis.)

Woman of the Match: Laurel Ragalie. Laurel scored two great goals. Enough said.

NOTES: Milwaukee has now won both all-time meetings with Western Illinois ... Sarah Hagen is the fourth player in school history, and the first since 2006, to score game-winners in three-straight games for UWM ... she is the sixth player in school history to 20 career assists ... her other career totals include 79 goals and 178 points ... her goals are tied for 19th in NCAA Division I history ... Milwaukee scored a season-high four goals for the second-straight game ... its 31 shots and 13 corners are also season-highs ... Ragalie cracked the top-10 for goals scored in school history with 14 (tied for ninth) ... the Panthers debuted new black jerseys ... Jamie Forbes picked up her 20th career win, tied for fourth in school history ... her six shutouts this season are tied for sixth in school history ... Hagen is up to 27 points this season, already tied for 10th in school history.

Iron Woman Watch (Played every minute this season): 925+ minutes (Gillaspie, Forbes)

Up Next: The Panthers host Detroit Sunday.