ML
Marie Lesperance
  • psychology
  • Class of 2018
  • Waukesha, Wisc.

Waukesha's Lesperance Part of NCAA Tournament Women's Soccer Team at UW-Whitewater

2017 Nov 8

Marie Lesperance, a native of Waukesha, WI, and graduate of Waukesha South High School, is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's soccer team, which earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and will begin play this Friday against Hope (Mich.) at 1:30 p.m. at the University of Chicago.

Lesperance, a senior at UW-Whitewater, is majoring in psychology.

The Warhawks, 14-3-4, have never faced the Flying Dutch, 18-2-1.

UW-W enters Friday's match unbeaten in their last five games, outscoring their opponents 17-2 in that span.

Scoring four of those goals is Anna Boyd, the team's leading scorer. The speedy freshman has tallied 11 goals this season to go along with five assists. She has started 19 of the Warhawks' 21 matches, and played over 1,200 minutes.

On the defensive end, UW-W is led by three-year starters Adria Schueler (Wales, Wis./Mukwonago), Payton DeLuga (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown), Lauren Otto (Richmond, Ill./Richmond Burton Community)and Mackenzie Serbousek (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie). The four juniors lineup in front of sophomore goalkeeper Nina Yonan (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) who has produced a record of 7-0-1 this season with five solo shutouts.

UW-W has only given up 15 goals all season, the second fewest in school history.

The Warhawks have a lot of NCAA Tournament experience on the roster as Head Coach Ryan Quamme's team advanced to the Elite 8 in 2015 and the Sweet 16 in 2016.

Hope is making their sixth overall NCAA Tournament appearance and third in the last four seasons. This season the Flying Dutch earned the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's automatic bid by defeating Olivet 2-1 in the conference tournament.

The Dutch are led by junior forward Grace Bubin who has tallied 11 goals and 5 assists, followed closely by senior forward Allie Wittenbach with seven goals and seven assists.

Freshman goalkeeper Jordanne Ellingboe has had a stellar first season, racking up a 16-1-1 record with a goals against average of 0.33 and a save percentage of 88.0%.

The Dutch have scored 63 goals this season, while giving up just eight.

Hope has limited NCAA experience on this year's roster, bowing out in the first round last year and the second round three seasons ago.

The winner of the UW-W vs. Hope match will advance to a second round match on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Chicago and will face either No. 4 University of Chicago, 17-1-0, or St. Catherine's, 9-6-4. The Maroons and Wildcats play their first round match at 11 a.m. on Friday.