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Issued: November 17, 2006

WHEATON ENDS BLUGOLD SOCCER SEASON...AGAIN

WHEATON, Ill. - For the second year in a row, Wheaton College ended the UW-Eau Claire women's soccer season.

The Thunder recorded a 2-0 triumph over the Blugolds in an NCAA Division III sectional semifinal game here Friday night.

Wheaton, which won the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship, defeated the Blugolds, 2-1, in overtime in last year’s NCAA second round confrontation.

This win propelled Wheaton into Saturday’s Elite Eight game against unbeaten Hardin-Simmons, Texas which advanced past UC-Santa Cruz in a shootout by a 4-1 margin.

The Blugolds had notched eight straight shutouts coming into the contest against Wheaton and Blugold goalie Allie Rivard (So.-Plymouth, MN/Wayzata) had allowed just one goal in 1302 minutes between the pipes this year and that goal came on a penalty kick.

Wheaton’s Bethany Barton put the hosts on the scoreboard with a penalty kick in the 11th minute of the contest. The goal would stand up until the final 25 seconds of the contest when Taryne Lee buried a shot off a corner kick for the final 2-0 margin.

Wheaton outshot the Blugolds by a 19-7 margin and Thunder goalie Kristin Eggert made four saves while Rivard had six.

The loss ended UW-Eau Claire’s most successful season ever in soccer as the Blugolds finished with a 23-3 record, losing all three of their games on shutouts. The Blugolds gave up just 10 goals for the season and set a school record with 18 shutouts.

The Blugolds have yet to beat Wheaton in seven meetings dating back to 1995.

Wheaton will take a 21-2 record into its sectional final game against Hardin-Simmons which is 19-0-4. The winner will advance to the Division III championship tournament along with three other sectional winners next weekend at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Eau Claire-Wheaton Box Score

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