Tim Kalkirtz
Sports Writter
The stars are leading the National Athletic Collegiar Conference Division III standings with a 12-0-3 record. The Stars have been 7-0-1 against all opponents at home, and have a 5-0-2 record against conference teams total.
Dominican is the only remaining undefeated team in the division, and hold the best record in conference play. The team below them, Concordia University Wisconsin, has a 5-1-1 record in conference play, but a 6-5-3 total record.
The Stars lead the league with only 7 goals against them all season. The next best team in the division, Benedictine, has had 17 goals scored against them. Dominican also leads the league in total goals scored, 54. The next best, The Milwaukee School of Engineering, has 34.
A large portion of this success comes from sophomore Josseline Williams and junior Tania Paez. Williams leads the Stars in goals, points, and game-winning-goals. Paez is 2nd on the Stars in goals, points, and game-winning-goals.
Last season, Josseline Williams had 13 goals and 3 assists for 29 points in 19 games, ranking 2nd in the league in goals and points. This impressive rookie campaign earned her the NACC Division III Freshman of the Year award.
This season, Williams has already crushed her previous totals in 4 less games. With 23 goals, 4 assists, and 50 points in 15 games, Williams is leading the league in goals and points by a wide margin. The next highest individual goal total in the league is 11.
As well as having a tremendous season as a whole, Williams has had some outstanding individual performances. She has scored four goals in three separate games, and has scored two or more goals in six games.
Williams has had an impressive consistency. She has goals in 11 of the 15 games she has played, and leads both Dominican and the league in game-winning-goals with six.
Many of Williams’ goals have come from individual efforts. Eight of her 23 goals have been scored unassisted. Of those goals with assists, Senior Tania Paez has been credited with 6 – the most on the team.
Paez is having an impressive season as well with 7 goals, a team-and-league-leading 11 assists, and 25 points. She also is 2nd in the league in points.
Paez is showing improvement based on statistics from last season. In 20 games played, she had 4 goals and 12 assists for 20 points last season.
Looking ahead, The Stars have four games remaining in the season before the NACC tournament. The next three games are against in-conference opponents, and the final match of the season is against Elmhurst College.
Dominican’s next game is at home against Edgewood College from Madison, WI. Edgewood is not having an outstanding season, and are currently 9th in the NACC standings. They have a 6-8-0 total record, and have been 2-5-0 against opponents within the conference.
Edgewood has struggled to score goals at times, and has been shut out five times this season so far. Many of their games are decided by one or two goals, but have a few outliers where they find their scoring touch. In 7 games against teams in the conference, Edgewood only has 9 goals, compare that to Dominican’s 27 in the same span for perspective.
After playing Edgewood, Dominican will take on Concordia University Chicago at home. Our closest rival, just down Division, is not exactly having an outstanding season either. Concordia Chicago is currently 6th in the NACC standings.
Concordia has been shut out in 7 of their matchups, and also has struggled to score. Like Edgewood College, Concordia has a few games where their offense exploded for multiple goals, but those games are the exception for these teams this season. Concordia Chicago has scored 11 goals in 7 conference games.
Dominican’s final conference game of the regular season will be on the road at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, WI. Wisconsin Lutheran is not the most threatening team, and has struggled lately. They are currently 8th in the conference standings.
Wisconsin Lutheran’s goal production over the course of the season hasn’t been terrible. They have had 11 goals in 6 conference games, but they have been shut out in four of their past five games. Three of those four shutouts have come against other teams within the conference.
The Stars will close out the regular season against Elmhurst College at home. Elmhurst College is currently 7th in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). They have a record of 8-4-0 against all opponents this season.
Unlike some of the other opponents previously covered, Elmhurst does not appear to have much trouble scoring. They have scored multiple goals in six of their winning games. Elmhurst has shut out opponents while scoring 7 or 8 goals in those games this season. They have scored 33 goals and have had 12 goals against them in 12 games total. Of all the next matchups for the season, Elmhurst appears the most dangerous.
kalktimo@my.dom.edu