For just the second time in Head Coach Ryan Quamme's six-year tenure, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's soccer team is not the top seed in the upcoming Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.
 
The Warhawks, winners of four of the last five WIAC Championships, enter this year's tournament as the two-seed with an overall record of 13-3-3. UW-W finished 4-2-1 in league play, second to only UW-La Crosse, which finished the regular season 7-0 in conference action and 16-1-2 overall.
 
UW-W and UW-L receive first round byes and await the victors of a pair of first round games on Tuesday. The Warhawks will play the highest remaining seed Thursday, while UW-L will face the lowest remaining seed. Seeds three through six are as follows: UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout, UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls. UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville did not earn spots in the six-team tournament.
 
The Warhawks will enter this year's WIAC Championship as one of the top two defensive teams in the league. UW-W has given up just five goals to league foes, and has racked up three shutouts in the process.
 
The experienced defensive group of juniors Adria Schueler (Wales, Wis./Mukwonago), Payton DeLuga (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown), Lauren Otto (Richmond, Ill./Richmond Burton Community) and Mackenzie Serbousek (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie) will look to stop quality shots before they can reach sophomore goalkeeper Nina Yonan (Skokie, Ill./Niles North). The four of them have been regular starters since their freshman year.
 
"Payton is playing really well right now," Quamme said. "She's winning balls out of the air, she's disciplined, and even when she makes a rare mistake, her speed allows her to recover."
 
He added, "Lauren really compliments Payton. They work so well together and have been playing together since they were about 13 years old. Our backline is very solid."
 
Throw in the fact that goalkeeper Nina Yonan (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) has come on strong in the last few weeks of the season, the Warhawks have been nearly impossible to score on.
 
Yonan has started four of UW-W's last five matches and has not given up a goal. She is 6-0 this season with five shutouts.
 
Until the last two weeks, the Warhawks were struggling to finish around the net, scoring just two goals in their first three conference games.
 
"I feel like we did a great job of creating chances to score all season, we just weren't consistent with finishing. Our movement off the ball is better and we've moved Katy Kusswurm (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) to an attacking midfielder, and I think it's really contributed to a more consistent attack," Quamme said.
 
Their attack has produced 15 goals in the last five games, something Quamme says, "…has helped build our confidence and momentum."
 
As UW-W approaches postseason play, he expects that his veteran offensive players, Marie Lesperance (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South), Emily Mouille (Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee) and Karina Rosales (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), will step up to help the team's leading scorer, freshman Anna Boyd (De Pere, Wis./De Pere).
 
Quamme also said, "I think the rest of our offensive lineup has done a great job of contributing by committee. Our freshmen have stepped up the last few weeks, specifically Anna Perona (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) and Jenel Karow (Franklin, Wis./Franklin)."
 
If the tournament plays out according to the seeding, UW-W will likely travel up to UW-La Crosse for the tournament final on Saturday, November 4. The two teams met during the regular season on Oct. 21, with UW-L topping the Warhawks 2-0.
 
"I felt we really executed our game plan well when we played them a couple of weeks ago. They got an early goal and were able to build some momentum. I think it's a good match-up for us should we get the opportunity to play them again," Quamme said about the potential of playing top-seeded UW-L.
 
With a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament on the line, UW-W will look for contributions from their entire lineup. The winner of the WIAC Tournament earns the league's automatic berth. Should UW-W not win this year's tournament, they will await the possibility of an at-large berth when the announcement of the 64-team field is made on Monday, November 6th at noon.