EAU CLAIRE - The sixth-ranked UW-Eau Claire soccer team scored a season-high six goals on its way to defeating UW-Whitewater today 6-1 at the Bollinger Fields.

The win improves the Blugolds record to 8-0-0 and 3-0-0 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play. The eight straight wins to begin the season are the most since the 2000 season when the team won eight straight. The loss drops the Warhawks to an overall record of 1-6-0 and 0-2-0 in the WIAC.

The Blugolds got on the scoreboard early when Amy Smith (So.-Bloomington, MN/Jefferson) scored on a breakaway just over five minutes in to give the Blugolds a 1-0 lead. Maria Iaizzo (Sr.-White Bear Lake, MN) assisted on the goal. Iaizzo would then be on the receiving of an Amy Smith pass as she put one past the goalkeeper at the 19:44 mark to give the Blugolds a 2-0 lead. Emily Meisinger (Sr.-Green Bay, WI/Notre Dame Academy) also assisted on the goal.

The Warhawks cut into the lead in the 26th minute when Mary Donohoo scored to make the score 2-1. The goal was only the second allowed by the Blugolds all season and the first at home. The score would remain that until halftime. The Blugolds out shot the Warhawks 10-4 in the first half.

The Blugolds came out firing in the second half. Maria Iaizzo scored her second goal of the game five minutes into the half on a scramble in front of the net to make the score 3-1. Emily Meisinger and Allison Muer (So.-Minneapolis, MN/South) assisted on the goal. The Blugolds scored again at the 63:52 when Shannon Conlin (Fr.-Reedsburg, WI) flicked one past the goalkeeper after receiving a great pass from Abby Ofstedahl (Jr.-Apple Valley, MN/Eastview) to make the score 4-1. It was Conlin's first collegiate goal.

The scoring continued for the Blugolds in the 76th minute when Maria Iaizzo capped off the day with a hat trick, scoring her third goal on a cross from Aimee Bretl (Sr.-Port Washington, WI) to make the score 5-1. Iaizzo had seven points in today's game and leads the team in goals with six and in points with 16 this season.

The Blugolds scored their final goal of the day on Amy Smith's second goal of the match at 81:35 to make the score 6-1. Emily Meisinger had her third assist on the goal.

The Blugolds improve to 15-2-1 all-time against the Warhawks. The Blugolds have not lost against a WIAC opponent since a 3-0 loss to UW-Stevens Point in 2004. Since then, the Blugolds have faced 14 conference opponents, winning 12 of those contests and tying in two.

The Blugolds will play the fourth game of a six-game home stand tomorrow when they host non-conference opponent Hamline University (MN). The action gets underway at 2 p.m. at the Bollinger Fields.

Eau Claire-Whitewater Box Score

- JR -