Nov. 14, 2009
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
MADISON, Wis. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF has reached the NCAA Second Round for the third-straight season and will take on host Wisconsin Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The third-seeded Knights are hoping to advance past round No. 2 for the first time since 1987.
Two of the Knights' biggest challenges in the First Round were getting used to the playing surface and the weather. But now they will be taking on the host institution in Wisconsin which is 5-1-4 at home this year. The Badgers tied Arizona State in the opening round and got past the Sun Devils, 4-3, on penalty kicks. UW is 9-5-6 overall but has been outscored 24-21 even though Laurie Nosbusch leads all players with six goals, five assists and 17 points. In net, Michele Dalton holds a 1.23 GAA with six shutouts.
UCF trails in the all-time series, 1-2-1, including a First Round loss to the Badgers in Madison in 1998.
On Friday, Courtney Whidden posted a career-high five points on two goals and an assist to lift UCF past UW-Milwaukee, 3-0, in the First Round. The Panthers had several great chances to get on the scoreboard, but Aline Reis was there to make seven saves for the shutout.
It was a perfect match-up as Reis, an All-American as a freshman in 2008, went up against the NCAA's leading scorer in Milwaukee's Sarah Hagen. And in the end, it would be the Knights' netminder who prevailed. Hagen finished with eight total shots and placed four on goal, but Reis was there each time to make the save in the victory.
That would be UCF's 17th victory in 2009, which is one win shy of tying the school's all-time mark.
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