Nov. 12, 2004

NOTRE DAME, IN - Amy Vermeulen was the player the University of Dayton women's soccer team needed to stop.

For 98 minutes the University of Wisconsin's leading scorer had been bottled up by the UD defense. But the junior forward converted her only shot of the game to lead the Badgers' to an NCAA First Round upset of the 20th-ranked Flyers, 2-1 in overtime, at the University of Notre Dame's Alumni Field Friday night.

Vermeulen, who has scored 12 goals and 11 assists this season, took a pass from Allison Preiss at the top of the box and lofted a shot from 12 yards out that deflected off the underside of the crossbar and rolled in over the goal line.

The goal, with just 2:42 left in the first overtime, snapped the nation's longest winning streak at 20 matches and sent the Badgers (16-5-1) to the Second Round Sunday against the winner of the Notre Dame vs. Eastern Illinois game.

"She is a great finisher and we defended her very well all night," UD head coach Mike Tucker said. "We gave her very few good looks."

The much-anticipated NCAA First Round match between regional powers, in which both teams had combined for 35 wins, went to halftime scoreless. UW would strike first, by way of an own goal in the 59th minute. After UD (20-2-0) was whistled for a foul, Vermeulen blasted a free kick towards the box from 30 yards out. Senior D Jen Simonetti attempted to clear the ball out of trouble, but misdirected into the net.

"You can't fault Jen on that, Tucker said. "She was trying to make a great play and the ball just came off the wrong side of her foot."

But the Flyers countered quickly and just over three minutes later had the match tied again. Senior MF Tesia Kozlowski collected Simonetti's corner kick at the far post and her shot in traffic caromed in off the pipe. It is the third consecutive game in which the senior pair has connected for a goal.

Dayton continued to pressure and outshot Wisconsin 6-4 in the second half, but it was senior GK Stacy DeLuca who kept the Flyers in it. DeLuca came up with four saves, including two on point-blank shots early in the second.

"We had some very good chances early on to score," Tucker said. "DeLuca was big tonight with some great saves and for the most part, the match was in our hands."

With 13 minutes left in first half, Kozlowski collected another Simonetti corner and had a shot from close range saved on the line by a UW defender Ann Eshun. Five minutes later, freshman Dara Elk had a breakaway, but her shot to the near post was collected by Wisconsin goalkeeper Lynn Murray.

The shot count was even at 11-11, but UD held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.

"I though we deserved to win the game," UD head coach Mike Tucker said. "Our girls did everything we needed to tonight, but you have to give Wisconsin a lot of credit. They defended us very well, especially our corners. We had seven and to only score on one of those, that was the difference in the game."

It was the first overtime loss since 1999 for the Flyers, who end their season in the First Round for the third consecutive season.