Sport in world

Westerwinds head to Summit League Championship as No. 1 seed

December 4, 2007 on 9:40 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill.- The Western Illinois women’s soccer team will head to The Summit League Championship as the No. 1 seed for the first time in school history.

The Westerwinds finished the season with a 15-2-1 overall record, surpassing the school record for wins in a season of 11 set by the 2006 squad. Western went a perfect 8-0-0 record in Summit League play, setting a conference record for league wins in a single season.

The Westerwinds will face No. 4 Oral Roberts, Friday, November 9, at 12 p.m. No. 2 Oakland and No. 3 Southern Utah will conclude the day with a 3 p.m. start. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, November 11, at 12 p.m. All games are to be played at OU Soccer Field on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.

About Oral Roberts
The Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a record of 8-8-3 and a Summit League record of 2-2-3. They collected league wins over Centenary (1-0) and IPFW (5-0).

The Oral Roberts offensive attack is lead by freshman Shakira Duncan. The Summit League Newcomer of the Year candidate leads the Golden Eagles and the conference with 10 goals and 21 points. Senior Emily Gagnon and sophomore Tara Lomas lead the team in assists with four each.

Senior goalkeeper Stef Gurley has played all but two halves for the Golden Eagles. The Hurst, Texas native has allowed just 24 goals this season while making 127 saves (2nd in conference). Her eight shutouts rank first in The Summit League.

Against the Golden Eagles
Western Illinois defeated Oral Roberts 1-0 on Sunday, November 4, in their last regular game of the season. Senior Bess Rapp (Lincoln, Neb./Southeast) scored the game-winning goal off of fellow senior Misako Inaba’s (Kashiwa, Japan/Yachiyoshoin) fourth assist of the season. Sophomore Meghan Tyk (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) and senior Julie Remes (Arden Hills, Minn.) combined for the shutout.

About Oakland
The defending conference tournament champions finished the season with a record of 8-7-2 and a Summit League record of 6-2-0. They finished their regular season with a 4-0 defeat of IPFW, November 3.

Oakland’s offense is very balanced at the top with a majority of the scoring coming from three upperclassmen. Senior Kristi Tomczyk, the 2006 Offensive Player of the Year, leads the Grizzlies with eight goals and 20 assists. Senior Jamie Hulet has added six goals and two assists to the offensive attack. Junior Jessica Boyle leads the team in assists with six.

Against the Grizzlies
Western Illinois lost on penalty kicks to the 2006 Mid-Continent championship game to Oakland. The Westerwinds were able to get revenge when the Grizzlies came to John MacKenzie Alumni Field, September 16. The Westerwinds received early goals from junior Katelyn Wisner (Lenexa, Kan./Olathe East) and junior Ashley Hoch (Brookfield, Wis./Central) and held off a late Oakland attack to win 2-1. Tyk made four saves in the victory.

About Southern Utah
Southern Utah ended the regular season with a record of 7-5-5 and a Summit League record of 3-2-3. The Thunderbirds picked up league wins over IPFW (2-0), IUPUI (4-1), and North Dakota State (2-1) in overtime.

Southern Utah’s offense is lead by junior Shaley Ipson. Ipson leads the team in goals (4) and points (10). Senior Cassidy Berlin leads the team in assists with four.

Senior Holly Senter has logged over 1,420 minutes in net for the Thunderbirds, recording 62 saves in the process. She has allowed 28 goals and has recorded a 5-5-5 record with three shutouts.

Against Southern Utah
The Westerwinds defeated Southern Utah September 28, by a score of 3-0. Western Illinois received goals from sophomore Keeley Murray (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf), Hoch, and Wisner. Hoch also picked up an assist in the process for a three-point game. Tyk and freshman Jessica Walsh (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) combined for the five-save shutout.

Record Breaking Season
Along with breaking the school record for wins in a season, the Westerwinds have broken several other school records. Senior Robyn Ruypers (Petrolia, Ontario/Lambton Central Collegiate) broke the school’s career record for goals and points, September 23, against William Woods. She currently stands at 20 goals and 53 points in her career as a Westerwind.

With her win against Oral Roberts, Tyk tied the school record for wins in a season. Former Western keeper Samantha Clark set the record with 11 wins in 2006. Tyk is 11-1-0 this year and will surpass Clark with a first-round win at the conference tournament.

The Westerwinds have also broke the record for shutouts in a season of 7, set by the 2006 team. Western currently has nine shutouts in the 2007 campaign.

On the NCAA Leaderboard
Along with breaking records, the 2007 Westerwinds are appearing among many NCAA leaderboards. Western currently ranks third in the nation with a 0.861 won-lost-tied percentage. They also rank in the top 25 in goals-against average (20th, 0.65) and save percentage (22nd, 0.857). Tyk is ranked seventh in the nation in goals-against average (0.474) and save percentage (0.891).

Originaly from Source