MENOMONIE, Wis. - UW-Oshkosh women's soccer secured its first WIAC victory of the season on Saturday (Oct. 10), defeating UW-Stout, 1-0, at Nelson Field behind a first-half goal from
Jaden LeRoy (Evansville/Evansville) and a combined shutout from
Larissa Likes (Kaukauna/Kaukauna) and
Jamaya Mariner (Green Bay/Green Bay East).
Oshkosh (5-4-3, 1-1-1 WIAC) controlled the offensive opportunities against Stout (4-6-4, 0-2-0 WIAC), outshooting the Blue Devils, 19-11, including a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Titans recorded eight shots in the opening half and added 11 in the second, while holding Stout to six and five, respectively.
The Titans also held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks, including a 6-1 edge in the first half. Oshkosh's goalkeepers combined for four saves, while Stout recorded eight.
LeRoy scored the lone goal of the match in the 17th minute, her third goal of the season, off an assist from
Addie Wreath (Appleton/Appleton East). LeRoy finished with three shots, including one on goal, while Wreath added three shots with one on target.
Addyson Knoebel (Appleton/Appleton West) and
Ella Duckmann (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) each placed both of their shots on goal.
Maddie Daigle (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy) recorded two shots with one on goal, while
Laney Wiebel (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) and
Alexa Schorr (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) also registered shots on target.
Likes and Mariner split time in goal for the Titans. Likes stopped all three shots she faced in the first half, while Mariner made one save in the second period to preserve the shutout.
Oshkosh opened the match with early offensive pressure, earning a corner kick in the second minute before Daigle recorded the first shot of the contest just over two minutes into play.
Duckmann registered the Titans' first shot on goal in the eighth minute, forcing Stout goalkeeper Kristen Silenzi to make a save in the bottom right corner. Knoebel followed with another shot on target less than two minutes later, but Silenzi kept the match scoreless.
After Wreath sent an attempt wide left in the 15th minute, the Titans broke through at the 16:35 mark. Wreath connected with LeRoy, who found the back of the net to give Oshkosh a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Devils responded with their first shot on goal in the 20th minute, but Likes turned away Alli LaVick's attempt to maintain the Titans' advantage.
Stout continued to push offensively late in the opening half, with Bella Mickey and Mia Brunelli each putting shots on goal in the 39th and 40th minutes. Likes stopped both attempts to preserve the shutout.
Oshkosh countered with scoring opportunities of its own as Wiebel and Schorr forced saves from Silenzi in the final six minutes of the half. The Titans entered the break holding a 1-0 advantage after outshooting Stout, 8-6, and earning six corner kicks.
The Titans came out of halftime aggressively, recording six shots in the first 11 minutes of the second period. Wreath opened the half with a shot over the crossbar before forcing Silenzi into a save in the 47th minute.
LeRoy followed with an attempt that sailed wide left, while Daigle and Duckmann each put shots on goal in the 50th and 54th minutes, respectively. Knoebel added another shot on target in the 56th minute, but Silenzi kept the Blue Devils within one goal.
Oshkosh continued to generate offensive opportunities, with
Ariana Gonzalez (Appleton/Appleton North) and
Shannon Walsh (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) recording shots less than 20 seconds apart in the 58th minute.
Stout began to apply pressure midway through the second half, earning three corner kicks between the 62nd and 72nd minutes. Sami Moseng sent a shot over the goal in the 73rd minute before Brunelli forced Mariner to make her lone save of the afternoon in the 74th.
The Blue Devils added two more attempts over the next three minutes, but neither found the target.
Oshkosh nearly doubled its lead in the 78th minute when
Ryley Meenk (Waukesha/Waukesha South) sent a shot off the crossbar.
Stout recorded one final shot in the 82nd minute, but the attempt from Emma Balsley missed the target. The Titans held the Blue Devils without another shot over the final eight minutes to secure the 1-0 victory.
The Titans will be back in action on Tuesday (Oct. 13), traveling to face Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon at 3:30 p.m.
