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Davenport University Athletics

DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS
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Women's Soccer By Rick Hoskin | rhoskin@davenport.edu

No. 1 Women's Soccer Takes on No. 2 Indiana Tech for WHAC Tournament Crown

Weekly Notes | Allen Interview | Tourney Preview

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport women's soccer team has set a lot of records and reached new heights this 2012 season, such as collecting 17 wins, including 11 straight, and posting a perfect 8-0 record in Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference play to win its first ever league title. But the Lady Panthers are in a match they have never been in before: a WHAC Tournament final. The top-seeded Panthers will host second seed Indiana Tech in a battle for the WHAC's automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament Friday at 7 p.m.
 
Both teams went through a Halloween scare in the quarterfinals but cruised in the semifinals to reach the championship match. In the quarterfinals, the Lady Panthers held off No. 8 Marygrove 2-1 while the Warriors escaped with a 2-1 double overtime victory over No. 7 Concordia. The next round saw the Panthers shut out No. 4 Madonna 2-0 and the Warriors dominating No. 6 Aquinas 3-1.
 
Friday's match will not only feature the top two teams in the conference, but it will also include a matchup between the two new players of the year, which was announced at the end of the regular-season. The Defensive Player of the Year is sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Marcus, who allowed only three goals in eight WHAC matches this season. Overall, she holds a 0.66 goals-against average, which ranks 16th-best in the nation. Her Offensive counterpart, Indiana Tech's Tori Singstock, is also the Newcomer of the Year after leading the league with 11 goals. Overall this season she has scored 21 goals, which ranks in a three-way tie for ninth-best in the nation.
 
While the Warriors have relied on Singstock, Natalie Zimmerman and Megan Perrey to produce most of the 67 goals scored, the Lady Panthers have seen nearly everyone step up and lead the team to a victory. Although Letesha Cannonier scored all nine of her goals in the last 11 matches, 11 of her teammates have also contributed to the single-season record 54 goals throughout the year. Lizzie Paul and Paige Eli both lead the pack with 10 and right behind Cannonier are Thelma Gylfadottir with six, Alyssa Malone with five, Kasey Eberlein with four, Natalie McHale with three, Tam Grzybowski with two and Karitas Elvarsdottir, Mackenzie VanDerWarf, Laken Duchar-Clark and Abigail Westerweel each have one.

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