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 After winning its first four matches of the season, the UW-Milwaukee women's soccer team is nationally ranked for the first time since 2008.
The Panthers jumped into several polls this week, checking in at No. 22 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and the Our Game Magazine rankings and No. 20 in the Soccer America Top 25.
UWM also is second in the NSCAA Great Lakes Regional poll, matching the Panthers' highest regional ranking.
The University of Wisconsin (2-1-0) is seventh in the Great Lakes Region, while Marquette (4-0-0) moved up to No. 1 in the Northeast Region rankings – teams are assigned to regions based on their conferences, and the majority of Big East Conference schools are in the Northeast.
The Golden Eagles moved up in all three polls: They are up one spot to 11th in the NSCAA rankings and No. 12 in the Soccer America Top 25, and jumped three places to No. 9 in the Our Game rankings. UW is among the "Teams to keep an eye on" in the Our Game rankings.
Honor roll
UWM senior forward Sarah Hagen (Appleton North) was named the TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Week after her three-goal weekend in wins over Long Beach State and Saint Louis at the MKE Cup. Hagen made the website's team of the week for the fifth time in her career.
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Somewhat surprisingly, Hagen didn't extend her record of Horizon League Player of the Week awards. However, Hagen was honored as one of the Top Performers for the week, as was UW-Green Bay senior goalkeeper Maddie Drusch (Appleton Xavier).
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Marquette junior Ally Miller (Mequon Homestead) was the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Week, helping the Golden Eagles hold Saint Louis and Long Beach State to just three shots on goal in a pair of victories at the MKE Cup. Marquette senior forward Rachael Sloan, who had a goal and an assist on the weekend, was named to the Big East Honor Roll for the week.
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Freshman forward Cara Walls (Wauwatosa East), who scored her first two career goals and assisted on the other goal as UW won twice over the weekend, was the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week. She's the first Badgers player to earn the honor since Monica Lam-Feist did so on Oct. 19, 2009.
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Miller and Hagen were among the Our Game's College Players to Watch team for the week, while Hagen also was named to the Soccer America team of the week.
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On the men's side, UW junior Kyle McCrudden was the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, claiming the award for the first time. McCrudden, playing at right back, scored his second career goal in the 68th minute to lift the Badgers over Western Illinois 1-0 in a season opener Saturday night.
Good starts
Baylor junior forward Dana Larsen (Mequon Homestead) scored her second and third goals of the season as Baylor (3-0-1) thumped Texas-San Antonio 5-1 in a non-conference match Sunday in Waco, Texas. The Bears are coached by Marci Jobson, a former UW standout.
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Freshman midfielder Justin Laird (Hartford) scored his first collegiate goal in the 71st minute Monday, giving Wright State a 1-0 victory over host Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis in non-conference action. Laird has started both matches for the Raiders (2-0-0) and coach Bryan Davis, a Milwaukee native and former UW player.
More matches
College soccer gets into full swing this week as NCAA Division II and III men's and women's teams start play Thursday.
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