Post by dylanrocks on Feb 9, 2007 23:57:03 GMT -6
This shouldn't go unmentioned, seeing as it deals with what is undeniably UWM's marquee sport of the moment.
By CHARLES F. GARDNER
cgardner@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 7, 2007
A trio of Brookfield Central players and three other area stars highlight the nine-player recruiting class for UW-Milwaukee women's coach Mike Moynihan.
Forward Nicole Hirsch and midfielders Heather Roadhouse and Sarah Talbert will join the Panthers from the Brookfield Central program, which won Division 1 state titles in 2004 and 2005 and reached the state semifinals last season.
Also heading to UWM are central midfielder Nicole Sperl of Tosa West, defender Helena Zbilut of Kenosha Tremper and defender Kelly McGrath of Wisconsin Lutheran. McGrath missed the 2006 season with an injury but played every game as a freshman and sophomore and was an all-conference selection both years.
"Our goal is to get the very best talent from in the state," Moynihan said. "There's so much energy around our program right now."
That's because the Panthers this past season swept the state's other three schools -- Marquette 2-0 at Valley Fields, UW-Green Bay 3-2 and Wisconsin 1-0.
Roadhouse is a regional pool player for the Olympic Development team and had 12 goals and five assists for the Lancers last season. She combined with Talbert and Sperl to form the midfield for the FC Milwaukee Under-18 team.
"She's very athletic and just has developed tremendously in the last year and a half or so," Moynihan said.
Sperl, the sister of former UWM men's player Steve Sperl, had 17 goals and 18 assists for Wauwatosa West last season.
"She's technically very sound and reminds me a little bit of (former Panther) Maggie Suminski," Moynihan said. "She has that type of composure."
Talbert is "a great player who keeps other people involved," Moynihan said. Hirsch scored 12 goals and added eight assists to lead the Lancers with 32 points last season as a junior.
In addition, three players from Michigan have committed to the UWM program - defender/midfielder Erin DeYoung of Grand Rapids (Christian); outside defender Ellen Phillips of Middleville (Thornapple Kellogg); and forward Brianne Borgman of Holland (West Ottawa). All three played for the Grand Valley Soccer Club in the western part of the state.
"I watched them play a couple years ago at a tournament in Madison, and I really liked the way they played," Moynihan said.
The Panthers (16-4-2) won their seventh straight Horizon League title in 2006 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing a tight 1-0 decision at Notre Dame, the eventual NCAA runner-up.
A strong group of players will return next season, including midfielder Sarah Teegarden and goalkeeper Erin Kane, midfielders Amanda Winn, Kate Megna and Erin Kreuser and forward Louise Vraney.
"Last year was a big step for us, just in the style of soccer we were able to play," Moynihan said. "You need to be technically very sound and tactically quick to play against some of these high-level teams, and we were doing it against teams like Portland and Notre Dame."
By CHARLES F. GARDNER
cgardner@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 7, 2007
A trio of Brookfield Central players and three other area stars highlight the nine-player recruiting class for UW-Milwaukee women's coach Mike Moynihan.
Forward Nicole Hirsch and midfielders Heather Roadhouse and Sarah Talbert will join the Panthers from the Brookfield Central program, which won Division 1 state titles in 2004 and 2005 and reached the state semifinals last season.
Also heading to UWM are central midfielder Nicole Sperl of Tosa West, defender Helena Zbilut of Kenosha Tremper and defender Kelly McGrath of Wisconsin Lutheran. McGrath missed the 2006 season with an injury but played every game as a freshman and sophomore and was an all-conference selection both years.
"Our goal is to get the very best talent from in the state," Moynihan said. "There's so much energy around our program right now."
That's because the Panthers this past season swept the state's other three schools -- Marquette 2-0 at Valley Fields, UW-Green Bay 3-2 and Wisconsin 1-0.
Roadhouse is a regional pool player for the Olympic Development team and had 12 goals and five assists for the Lancers last season. She combined with Talbert and Sperl to form the midfield for the FC Milwaukee Under-18 team.
"She's very athletic and just has developed tremendously in the last year and a half or so," Moynihan said.
Sperl, the sister of former UWM men's player Steve Sperl, had 17 goals and 18 assists for Wauwatosa West last season.
"She's technically very sound and reminds me a little bit of (former Panther) Maggie Suminski," Moynihan said. "She has that type of composure."
Talbert is "a great player who keeps other people involved," Moynihan said. Hirsch scored 12 goals and added eight assists to lead the Lancers with 32 points last season as a junior.
In addition, three players from Michigan have committed to the UWM program - defender/midfielder Erin DeYoung of Grand Rapids (Christian); outside defender Ellen Phillips of Middleville (Thornapple Kellogg); and forward Brianne Borgman of Holland (West Ottawa). All three played for the Grand Valley Soccer Club in the western part of the state.
"I watched them play a couple years ago at a tournament in Madison, and I really liked the way they played," Moynihan said.
The Panthers (16-4-2) won their seventh straight Horizon League title in 2006 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing a tight 1-0 decision at Notre Dame, the eventual NCAA runner-up.
A strong group of players will return next season, including midfielder Sarah Teegarden and goalkeeper Erin Kane, midfielders Amanda Winn, Kate Megna and Erin Kreuser and forward Louise Vraney.
"Last year was a big step for us, just in the style of soccer we were able to play," Moynihan said. "You need to be technically very sound and tactically quick to play against some of these high-level teams, and we were doing it against teams like Portland and Notre Dame."