GREEN BAY, Wis. – Lainey Higgins scored the only goal of the game and Kendall Edwards posted her fifth shutout of the season as the Milwaukee women's soccer team beat Green Bay 1-0 to claim the 2022 Horizon League regular-season championship Wednesday night at Aldo Santaga Stadium.
 
"Credit to Green Bay," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "They played hard, they caused us problems, they defended well, they countered quick – all the things we knew were coming. They made it difficult – it was a hard-fought game and we are obviously thrilled we got the victory."
 
The Panthers (10-3-3, 7-1-2 Horizon League) dominated the Phoenix (3-11-2, 1-7-2 Horizon League) from start to finish, but had to settle for the one-goal decision when Higgins' strike stood up as the only goal of the contest.
 
"I look back on the spring (of 2022) and we won exactly one of five games on the schedule – and we only scored in that one," Boyd jokingly recalled. "Then we came into the fall and we knew we were going to be young, but we saw just how young and naïve we were. We just needed to gain experience as we went, keep teaching, and keep learning lots of lessons and reinforce them."
 
The league title for the Panthers is the 22^nd in program history as well as the second straight and seventh in the past eight seasons.
 
"I am really proud of this team," Boyd said. "Outstanding on their part. They are coachable, they have a passion to them and play and train hard – and that's why we are in the position we are in. When I look at all of that … what a tremendous accomplishment to repeat as league champions after all of the challenges that we faced this year."
 
Higgins scored the eventual game-winner at the 31:29 mark, netting her third of the season after taking a ball in off the defense from Brooke Parnello. She did the rest, dribbling around the back line to create space before firing to the far post.
 
The final score was not indicative of how the match was played. Milwaukee finished the night with almost 70 percent of total possession as well as gaudy advantages of 34-5 in shots and 14-3 in shots on goal, while also creating five of the six corner kicks of the evening.
 
The MKE offense tried to build on the 1-0 halftime lead but couldn't break through against GB's Annie Mason, who did well all evening in finishing with 13 saves.
 
"I wanted us to get better chances," Boyd said. "I don't think we were getting the most dangerous chances on the opportunities we were creating. We were choosing to shoot from distance instead of getting closer; crossing from real wide instead of getting in close. I just felt like we weren't being dangerous enough in what we were trying to do."
 
Senya Meurer just missed finishing an endline serve from Haley Johnson in the 52^nd minute. Trudy Quidzinkski's shot from distance then nearly caught the Phoenix off-guard, only to be punched just over the bar in the 72^nd minute.,
 
Edwards made a huge play in the 76^th minute, making a save through traffic on a 19-yard free kick. The Panthers then dodged a bullet, with the rebound being sent wide of the post from close range.
 
The first half was very productive outside of converting chances, holding 68 percent of possession over the first 45 minutes while accumulating a whopping 20-1 shot advantage in the opening period.
 
Outside of the goal, MKE got great chances throughout. And it started from the opening whistle, firing off 10 shots in the first 13 minutes.
 
Kayla Rollins was denied on an improbable save in the 21^st minute, seeing the GB goalkeeper get just enough of a reach and touch on her attempt to send it wide of the left post after a perfect square ball from Natalie Auble.
 
The team continued to pepper the net, with another quality save keeping Auble off the scoreboard in the 30^th minute. Coming off a long serve to the box, Auble's header was popped just over the crossbar at the last second.
 
With the win, the Panthers earn the right to host next week's Horizon League Tournament. As the No. 1 seed, they will get a first-round bye, next playing Thursday in the semifinals. Check the MKE website for more details after the field is announced.