PLATTEVILLE - In its second-to-last Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular season match the seventh-ranked UW-Eau Claire soccer team came from behind to defeat UW-Platteville 3-1 today and in doing so clinched at least a share of the regular season conference title.

The Blugolds now have an overall record of 14-1-0 and a conference record of 7-0-0. The Blugolds will face UW-River Falls, who is currently in second place in the WIAC, next Saturday in the WIAC regular season finale at River Falls. With the loss, the Pioneers fall to an overall record of 9-4-2 and a conference record of 1-3-2.

The Pioneers became the first WIAC team to lead the Blugolds this season when Ashly Hamilton scored at 7:56 to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. It was only the second time this season the Blugolds trailed. It was also the first goal the Blugolds allowed against the Pioneers in the last nine contests.

The Blugolds would respond in the 19th minute when Maria Iaizzo (Sr.-White Bear Lake, MN) scored her 12th goal of the season on header from Becky Westbrock (Sr.-Oakdale, MN/North St. Paul) to tie the match 1-1. That was the halftime score, as the Blugolds out shot the Pioneers 11-3 in the first half.

The Blugolds struck just three minutes into the second half when Liz Kooistra (So.-Lakeville, MN) stole the ball from the Pioneers and put the ball past the goalkeeper to give the Blugolds a 2-1 lead. The Blugolds sealed the match in the 63rd minute when Kooistra scored her second goal of the game on a header from Iaizzo to make the score 3-1. That was the final score of the match as the Blugolds won 3-1.

The Blugolds had 25 shots in the match, compared to just four for the Pioneers. The Blugolds are now a perfect 18-0 all-time against the Pioneers.

The Blugolds will jump on the bus and travel to Iowa to face Loras College tomorrow afternoon. The action begins at 2 p.m.

Eau Claire-Platteville Box Score

- JR -