Roar Report Fall 2023

MILWAUKEE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

CHRIS ZILLS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

COMMUNICATIONS & MULTIMEDIA

SEAN ENGEL

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

RACHEL KLEMP

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES

SETH DITTMER

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT

GARY D’AMATO

FEATURE WRITER

DEB LOGAN

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP

MILWAUKEE PANTHER SPORTS PROPERTIES

PHOTOGRAPHY

CONLEY BURCH, LEN CEDERHOLM, LOYOLA

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, SPIRIT HESSE, REILLY HALL, RACHEL KLEMP, JACK PINGLE, AND STEVE WOLTMAN

CREATIVE SERVICES

BRAEDEN DETERT, JAKE MICHALSKI, GIANNA LAPERNE, AND SPENCER JACOBS

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SPORT UPDATES

Women’s soccer, men’s soccer, women’s cross country, men’s cross country, and volleyball

PANTHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Milwaukee Athletic Department continues to add more international student-athletes across nearly every sport. This school year, 28 Panthers come from 19 different countries across the globe.

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FAMILY MATTERS

By Gary D’Amato

Susie Johnson first walked on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee nearly 30 years ago and now has come full-circle, coaching daughter Josie who is a sophomore on the roster this fall. Her volleyball family tree is also an extended one, with sisters and nieces working in the sport all over the Midwest.

THE HELM SISTERS

By

Seth Dittmer

Brittany and Rachel Helm are more than just teammates. The sisters have a long history in the sport together and will look to lead the Milwaukee cross country team to yet another Horizon League championship this season.

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SUMMER HOOPS: CATCHING

UP WITH THE

BOSSES

After a summer of work – spent in the brand new Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Center – the Milwaukee basketball programs are ready to jump into the 2023-24 season. Catch up on all of the action with this Q&A with Kyle Rechlicz and Bart Lundy.

WORLD CUP PANTHERS MAKE A STATEMENT FOR PHILIPPINES

Former Panthers Olivia and Chandler McDaniel not only made MKE program history when they made it to the World Cup as members of the Philippines, but they lived through the experience of a lifetime after a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in July.

NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES

The Milwaukee Athletics Department added a few new faces to the coaching staff. Meet the new staff members as they enter their first season in the new roles as Milwaukee Panthers.

40 INFORMATION ON THE PANTHERS EXCELLENCE FUND

what’sINSIDE

LIGHT UP THE HYPE

PLAY FOR A PURPOSE

On September 9, the Milwaukee Women’s Basketball team joined forces with the Marquette women’s basketball program to provide a free youth basketball clinic at Washington Park. The two hour-clinic for innercity youth provided a great opportunity for the youth to learn basketball from Milwaukee’s Division I women’s basketball programs.

LIGHT UP THE HYPE

SHE’S A KEEPER!

Former Panthers goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel was on top of the world in July when she earned “Woman of the Match” honors for her timely saves in the Philippine 1-0 World Cup upset of New Zealand.

The Milwaukee women’s soccer team headed into the 2023 season with a lot more questions answered than it did a year ago, and was rightfully acknowledged with the No. 1 spot in the Horizon League preseason poll after going 12-4-3 overall and 7-1-2 in league play last year, earning the league crown and NCAA Tournament appearance once again. After a solid stretch of recent play, the Panthers open October alone in first place with a 4-0 record, 12 standings points, and the only league team left without a loss or draw.

The team returned to the United Soccer Coaches North Region rankings two weeks ago and continues to check in at No. 10. That followed a two-week

start to the season for the Panthers (2-0-2 thru four games including a 2-2 draw at No. 3 Notre Dame in the season opener) that was also noted nationally, with the team picking up six votes (up from 1) in the United Soccer Coaches national poll that came out August 29 and a spot at No. 3 in the north regional poll (up from 6) the same week.

Kayla Rollins leads the team and Horizon League with her eight goals and is second with 16 points. Kat Van Booven (11 points on 4G/3A) and Lainey Higgins (9 points on 3 G/3A) are also in the Top 10 in the conference in scoring. In goal, Kendall Edwards has been a veteran presence, posting a 1.20 goals-against average and three shutouts in her 11 appearances.

The men’s soccer team is off to an up-and-down start, posting a 3-5-1 record through the end of September, including a 1-3 mark in Horizon League play. The team has started to build momentum and was recently unbeaten through three matches, starting with a 1-1 draw against nationally-ranked Marquette. The hard-earned decision came against a Golden Eagle squad that was ranked No. 23 at the time and was played in front of 1,211 fans in the annual Milwaukee Cup matchup.

The newcomers are playing well, as over half (13 of 25) of the spots on the active roster did not appear in a Panther uniform last fall.

Veteran Raul Medina leads the way for the offense with nine points, scoring three goals while adding a team-high three assists. His nine points are tied for fifth in the Horizon League lead at this point in the season. David Cox (8 points on 3G/2A) is second on the team scoring list, with newcomer Bienvenu Djunga leading the way with 20 shot attempts.

The Milwaukee men’s cross country team has finished in the top four teams at three of their five meets so far this season. Most notable are their thirdplace finish at the Phoenix Open and their fourth-place finish at the Blugold Invite.

Aidan Sodemann has enjoyed a stellar senior campaign, collecting two topten finishes and the second-best 8K time in program history at 24:35.5. Sodemann was named the Horizon League Runner of the Week for his third-place finish at the Phoenix Open.

Cullen Boyle and Lucas Picco have both performed well in their first seasons with the team. Boyle grabbed

the tenth spot on Milwaukee’s all-time 8K list at the John McNichols Invite, and Picco was named the Horizon League’s Runner and Freshman of the Week for his performance at the Platteville Pioneer Gender Equity Invite.

The Panthers’ final regular season race will be at the Bradley Pink Classic on October 13th, followed by the Horizon League Championships on the 28th.

The Milwaukee women’s cross country team has completed five of their six regular season races, grabbing three team finishes in the top five. A thirdplace finish at the Phoenix Open and a fourth-place finish at the Blugold Invite highlight the schedule thus far.

Anelise Egge and Cailin Kinas, two All-League selections from last season, have collected three top-ten individual finishes each. The duo managed to place top five in the same race at the Illini Open, when Egge placed third and Kinas took fifth.

Aubrey Anderson and Grace Kline are the two Panthers to receive weekly awards from the Horizon League so far this year, both for their performances at the Platteville Pioneer Gender Equity Invite. Anderson was named the league’s runner of the week, while Kline was named the freshman of the week. The Panthers’ final regular season race will be at the Bradley Pink Classic on October 13th, followed by the Horizon League Championships on the 28th.

to a 4-0 start in Horizon League play and has won 12 of its last 14 matches heading into the month of October.

Highlighting the season has been a pair of wins for head coach Susie Johnson, as she became the program’s all-time leader in head coaching wins with her 272nd victory on September 19 at Chicago State. Four days later, Johnson recorded her 500th career victory at Milwaukee, which includes her time as both an assistant coach and a head coach, as the team won in straight sets over Purdue Fort Wayne.

Milwaukee recorded a four-set victory over Northwestern on September 4, marking the program’s first win over a Big Ten opponent since the 2003 season, and first-ever win over the Wildcats.

individual months as she was selected as Horizon League Player of the Week on three occasions. Miller is currently tops in the conference in hitting percentage and is second in the league in kills on offense. Defensively, Miller leads the league in both assisted blocks and total blocks. With her kills, aces, and block totals, Miller leads all Horizon League student-athletes in total points, averaging better than four points per set

The Panthers have just five home matches in October beginning with Green Bay, Northern Kentucky, and Wright State to open the month, while hosting Youngstown State and Robert Morris at the end of the month. Milwaukee will wrap-up the regular season at home as well, with Cleveland State on November 10 and Oakland on November 11.

PANTHERS FROM AROUND

Victor

Divine Aniamaka – Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (Men’s Track & Field)

Micah O’Garro – George Town, Cayman Islands (Men’s Soccer)

Harry O’Brien – Manchester, England (Men’s Soccer)

Harry Lee – Warrington, England (Men’s Soccer)

Bienvenu Djunga – Asnieres-sur-Seine, France (Men’s Soccer)

Laure Razet – Paris, France (Women’s Tennis)

Matthew Toolan – Dublin, Ireland (Men’s Soccer)

Mesfin Roda – Barcelona, Spain (Men’s Soccer)

Raul Medina – Madrid, Spain (Men’s Soccer)

Lior Halevi (Women’s

Giorgia Cavestro – Vicenza, Italy (Women’s Tennis)

Daniel Ibarra – Monterrey, Mexico (Men’s Soccer)

Adrian Montilva – Barquisimeto, Venezuela (Baseball)

Erika Thomas – Barrie, Ontario, Canada (Women’s Swimming & Diving)

Kostov – Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Men’s Swimming & Diving)

Eva Sikich – West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Women’s Soccer)

PANTHERS AROUND THE WORLD

Halevi – Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, Israel (Women’s Basketball)

Daiki Kumakawa – Ryugaski, Japan (Men’s Soccer)

Babette Burgersdijk – S-Gravenzande, Netherlands (Women’s Tennis)

Kristina Karlof – Oslo, Norway (Women’s Soccer)

Vanessa Jurewicz – Stockholm, Sweden (Women’s Basketball)

Johanna Edgren – Lerum, Sweden (Women’s Swimming & Diving)

Izzy Pugh – Auckland, New Zealand (Women’s Basketball)

Lucy Borlase – Wellington, New Zealand (Women’s Swimming & Diving)

Evelina Anastasi – Limassol, Cyprus (Women’s Tennis)

Sara Simonova – Brno, Czech Republic (Women’s Tennis)

Iva Stejskalova – Vsetin, Czech Republic (Women’s Tennis)

Nadiia Konieva – Kharkiv, Ukraine (Women’s Tennis)

Family Matters

by Gary D’Amato

Susie Johnson played every sport under the sun as a kid. From her mother, Kathryn Berkley, she inherited a competitive itch that had to be scratched, whether it was on the basketball court, the volleyball court or the softball diamond … anywhere there was a ball to be dribbled, spiked or smashed into center field.

Johnson excelled in basketball at Racine Case High School and could have played in college, but she wasn’t cut out for throwing — and receiving — elbows in the paint.

“I just didn’t think it was suited for me,” she said. “Too much contact, probably. Getting fouled, I don’t know, I always got irritated by it.”

Instead, she played NCAA Division I women’s volleyball at Idaho State. Her experience there led to a highly successful coaching career and influenced her younger sisters in a blended family.

Johnson is in her 17th season as head women’s volleyball coach at Milwaukee and on Sept. 19 became the program’s all-time Division I leader in victories with 272. Her daughter, Josie, is a sophomore setter on the team.

“She understands the game because she grew up with it,” Johnson said. “Not just with me, but with our entire family.”

Yes, when Johnson, her sisters and their daughters get together, volleyball is certain to be a topic of conversation.

Amanda Berkley, 15 years younger than Johnson, walked on to the women’s volleyball team at the University of Wisconsin, played in one of the nation’s top programs and now is in her sixth season as head women’s

volleyball coach at Loyola University Chicago.

Another sister, Kari Adams, also played volleyball in high school, though she excelled in softball. One of her daughters, Katie Adams, is a women’s volleyball assistant coach at Green Bay. Another daughter, Ellie Adams, is director of volleyball operations at Marquette University.

Finally, another sister, Annie Sireno, played volleyball at UWWhitewater and coached at Union Grove High School. Just call them the

First Family of Volleyball in Wisconsin

“That might not be an exaggeration,” Johnson said.

As a setter at Idaho State, Johnson was the 1990 Big Sky Conference MVP, a three-time all-Big Sky selection and earned all-Northwest Region honors. She was inducted into the Idaho State Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

“I had a great experience in Idaho,” Johnson said. “The town of Pocatello is very enthralled with their athletics. We were the best team they had on campus, so we were embraced. I had a really good coach. He embraced the fact that I was an athlete and just taught me the game at a very high level.”

At 23 and just out of school, Johnson was named head coach of the women’s volleyball team at Division II UW-Parkside. Talk about on-the-job training.

“I was the same age as two of my players,” she said with a laugh. “I was a pretty good player so I understood the game and I could teach it, but when it came down to recruiting, I was trying to figure it out. It was an interesting job, but I thought, ‘I need to learn more before I can go back to being a head coach.’”

Johnson took a job as an assistant coach at Indiana State, where she learned the recruiting ropes. After two years, she accepted a job as assistant coach at Milwaukee,

where Kathy Litzau was in charge of a highly successful program and on her way to the Bud K. Haidet Hall of Fame.

“We were a really good fit,” Johnson said of working with Litzau, now the senior associate director of athletics at Milwaukee.

When Litzau moved into administration, Johnson had been her assistant for 10 years and was the logical choice to succeed her. She was named head coach in May 2007.

The rest is history. Johnson has led the Panthers to six regularseason Horizon League titles, four league tournament titles and four NCAA Tournament berths. She has been named Horizon League Coach of the year five times.

When Milwaukee beat Chicago State, 3-2, for Johnson’s 272nd career victory on Sept. 19, she not only surpassed Litzau to become the program’s all-time leader in victories but also became the all-time leader in victories for any women’s team at Milwaukee since the program moved to NCAA Division I in 1990.

Best of all, Johnson achieved the record with her daughter on the team (her son, Ty, is a redshirt sophomore wide receiver at Winona State).

“When Josie was born, it was the end of May and we were starting our season in August, so I just brought her to work,” Johnson said. “She had a very interesting

upbringing the first six months of her life. It’s kind of cool that it’s come full circle.”

Josie was coached by her mother in club volleyball starting at age 10. There was no chance she was going to play college volleyball anywhere else. The two are easily able to separate mother-daughter from coach-player.

“I think she just understands how I react, because she’s been coaching me for so long,” Josie said. “And then, I don’t know, we just get along really well. It’s pretty easy to play for her.”

Said Johnson, “I don’t find it hard (coaching Josie) because we have such a history of me coaching her. So, we didn’t have to adapt and learn that. She’s very much treated like another player on the team. She just happens to be my daughter.”

As for Berkley, she started going to her older sister’s games as a toddler and has modeled her own career after Johnson’s.

“She’s someone I look up to with everything that I do, and I bounce a lot of ideas off of her because she’s been so successful for so long,” Berkley said. “I definitely look up to her. What she’s been able to accomplish at UWM has been amazing. She’s just a really talented coach and someone who keeps growing and learning.”

Don’t look for Milwaukee and Loyola University to play each other in a non-conference game,

though. That’s a line the sisters won’t cross.

“We know so much about each other’s teams,” Johnson said. “I mean, intricately. We talk multiple times a day. We’re very close and we’re so competitive that leaving that off the table makes it easier. Because otherwise, how could you share as much? We’re both trying to win for our jobs, too.”

Now in her 27th year at Milwaukee, Johnson said her level of energy and enthusiasm for coaching hasn’t waned.

“I think it’s innate in me to be competitive,” she said. “I definitely think that I may be unique because I’ve been doing this a long time and I still want to figure out how I can be the best coach I can be with whatever group it is.”

Josie wants to follow in her mother’s coaching footsteps someday, and there may be more volleyball players in the family down the line: Johnson’s brother, Tim, married one of her former players.

“I set them up her senior year,” Johnson said. “Tim was right out of college. That’s a whole ‘nother twist to the story.”

Photo: Loyola Athletic Department

Gary D’Amato, a three-time National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association sportswriter of the year in Wisconsin, joined the Milwaukee Panthers as a feature writer for the Roar Report in September 2018.

The Helm Sisters

Brittany Helm is pushing for her fourth consecutive Horizon League Cross Country Championship title with the Milwaukee cross country program, but her resume speaks for itself. If you look back at her high school years, Brittany ended her prep career with two straight WIAA D1 State Championships at Muskego High School as well.

But she isn’t the only Helm on the Panthers’ roster. Her sister Rachel, a member of last year’s Horizon League Championship squad and both WIAA State Championships, is now in her second year as a runner for Milwaukee.

The Helms are the fourth pair of sisters to run cross country for Milwaukee, and the first since the Tarlton sisters in 2014.

Brittany started running in fifth grade. A family friend had kids around the same age that started cross country, which had a large influence on Brittany joining the sport. In turn, Rachel was influenced to start running by her sister.

“I’m not sure if I would’ve joined cross country without her,” Rachel said. “I still might have joined anyways, but her already being in the sport had a big influence on me joining cross country.”

They don’t just run because Brittany started early,

or because they’re both good at it. They actually do enjoy running cross country.

“I like the team aspect of it,” Rachel said. “I grew up playing a lot of different sports, and the team and the coaching structures in cross country are way better than any other sport.”

“I do like how individualized it is, however, you can still compete as a team,” Brittany added. “You can still win meets and conferences together, which makes it a completely different and unique sport.”

Born two years apart, Brittany and Rachel are in their fourth season as cross country teammates since Rachel started high school six years ago – two at Muskego, two at Milwaukee. In the two years that they weren’t teammates (Brittany running at Milwaukee while Rachel finished up at Muskego), the sisters said they missed running together.

“It was definitely harder because of the distance,” Brittany said when asked about the years apart. “We didn’t see each other much, especially with different academic and athletic schedules.”

Rachel originally wanted to go farther from home for her college years but said that Brittany being at Milwaukee had a big influence on her decision.

“Growing up I always wanted to go to school far away,” Rachel said. “I visited schools out of state, but I think Brittany being here really helped me make my decision.”

Rachel was already on Milwaukee’s radar after her junior season at Muskego, and associate head coach Jake Reilly said that Brittany wasn’t necessarily doing all the talking during her sister’s recruitment.

“I definitely leaned into Brittany to help me out a little bit,” Reilly explained. “But I think Rachel had her own recruiting experience. Brittany was looking for a certain thing for college athletics and academics, and Rachel was looking for a slightly different version. I think we got really lucky and showed them that we offered both sides of the coin.”

“Having Brittany here made Rachel a lot more confident coming in,” Reilly continued. “Now that Rachel is a sophomore, they lean on each other and push each other to get better. If one has a bad day, the other can have a good day, just like anyone else on the team. They’re not trying to best each other, just make each other better.”

“Being on the same team as Brittany helps motivate and push me on the course,” Rachel said. “She’s part of the reason I’ve accomplished what I have.”

Reilly, a four-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, is held in high regard by both sisters, particularly for his easy-going nature and flexibility when it comes to scheduling. Flexibility that helps Brittany out, as she is a nursing major and currently in clinicals.

“I ask her if she wants to change majors almost every week,” Reilly joked. “The hardest part is what she’s putting herself through. Her academic and professional desire is so high, just wanting to put her best into what she does and what she wants to be. And that’s completely mirrored on the athletic side. She’s not going to let a speed bump or a difficult situation determine the outcome.”

Now part way through their second collegiate season together, the Helms have one Horizon League cross country title under their belts as teammates and are going for a second.

“Our goal is to win conference and do well at regionals,” Brittany said. “It’s nice having the team connection that we have and being successful with the people we love the most. We just want to put in the work together and be proud of what we accomplish.”

Summer Hoops Catching Up With the Bosses

The staff of the Roar Report sat down with Bart Lundy and Kyle Rechlicz to get the take of each head coach on the state of their basketball programs now that the summer is over and the studentathletes are back in the classroom for the school year.

Fans will have the opportunity to get to know the teams in person soon – it’s only about a month until the season opener – but this Q&A gives everyone a chance to gather some inside information on the Panthers and what they did and learned about over the course of the summer.

ownership with them graduating. We had a great summer of them coming together as a team and we showed a lot of grit.”

Bart Lundy: “I learned that we have an incredible amount of depth and we have high-level character. We have a lot of guys that really want to do well with their careers and want to get better on the court.”

RR: How do you get the new members of the roster up-tospeed with the team/program?

Last year we had zero corporate knowledge so it all had to come from the staff. This year we had players returning who helped those guys adjust to Milwaukee, adjust to school, adjust to the program, and bring them into the program in a welcoming and educational way.”

RR: What do you personally like best about the way the summer is set up for the program?

ROAR REPORT: What did

you learn about your team this summer?

Kyle Rechlicz: “I learned a lot of different things than from summers in the past. Last year, we had a season that was full of injuries. So, coming into this summer, it was pretty amazing to see the resilience of some of our players. Just from the injuries they have gone through, whether it be from last year in college or maybe a high school injury that they brought in with them, how they pushed to getting back and their toughness and grit to getting back on the court.

We also had some new people step up into leadership positions, which was really fun to see. When you’re losing two players like Megan [Walstad] and Emma [Wittmershaus], you have a ton of experience within the program with both playing time and understanding the culture. It was nice to see other players take

KR: “That’s always a challenge, just because we do run so much from an offensive perspective and our defense is pretty intense, so there is a lot to learn when you step on campus as a freshman. We try to keep the freshmen together right at the beginning to do ‘learning labs’ to help pick up on the details, the terminology, everything that’s new. It’s inevitable that when they step into their first practice that their heads are going to be spinning.

That’s why it’s great that we have the summer, we just talk to them about not to worry about making mistakes, just get out there and go as hard as you can and let the coaches and the other players on the team, because we have a lot of upperclassmen leadership that step into coaching roles when the freshmen are making mistakes, and let them and us guide you because it’s a long time before our first game in November.”

BL: “I think that comes less from us as a staff and more from the players that we have returning.

KR: “For one, it’s nice for our players to get some extra classes in, so it doesn’t put as much weight when they’re in the fall and spring semesters. I think that is a huge part to allow our student-athletes to take a few classes during the summer. More than anything it’s about team chemistry, it’s about building a new team because every season is a new team, even if you have a ton of players returning, it’s still a brand-new team. I think our leadership team did a really good job this summer of creating opportunities for the team to bond and get to know each other. We also went to Noah’s Ark and to Summerfest as a team, and we had a lot of fun at those two locations.”

BL: “I like that we not only can take care of basketball, but we have an opportunity for those guys to reach out into the community with our camps, with some community service, and get to know the city as well as our basketball program.”

RR: What do you think the players like best about it?

KR: “The first words out of their mouths would be ‘going to the beach’, and that’s why we do early-morning workouts to give them their afternoons. It just allows them to be more of a college student than an athlete, the pressure and the demands aren’t as high and they get to have a little more fun. The weather is really nice in Milwaukee and they can go to festivals and the beach, or just hang out in the Third Ward and shop, and I think they really just enjoy the time in Milwaukee during the summer.”

BL: “I think there is no place like Milwaukee in the summer, so I think they enjoyed the city. I think they got a lot better basketballwise, but when you are here in the summer, with everything that is going on around town, it’s a great time to learn about the city and become comfortable in your surroundings.”

RR: Nearly all of the WBB staff and all of the MBB staff returns this season. What role does that play with the continuity of the program and how does that help?

KR: “It’s huge to have assistant coaches and support staff that are just bought in to what we’re trying to do and our culture. This is Stacy Cantley’s sixth season with us and she has a ton of experience, even before arriving

at Milwaukee, it really helps me as a head coach to have somebody like that on staff. She’s been around a lot of different programs and a lot of different systems, and she’s somebody that I rely heavily on as somebody that guides me personally.

Then you have Anna [DeForge] and Courtney [Shelton], who are just energy givers. Our players are connected to the two of them, they’re in the gym a lot doing individual workouts and just really helping out with the team.

I think Turea [Moore] and Maiah [Domask] have taken huge steps, I think sometimes it’s really hard to step into those new positions and not know what’s coming around the corner. It’s like being a freshman, you don’t know what’s next for this time of year and now that they’re getting into a routine, they’re understanding the full layout of their positions, it’s been really nice. We had a great staff retreat this summer, it was nice for us to all come together and be on the same page.”

BL: “It’s maybe the most important thing. We have a staff of, not only good basketball coaches, but really good men. And to have them back and to know their commitment – and that they all have corporate knowledge as well – just propels us as much as anything I can

think of that I can personally do. So I am grateful to have them all back.”

RR: You were able to hold summer sessions in the OHOW. What are the benefits of that compared to prior summers in the Klotsche Center?

KR: “What aren’t the benefits to the OHOW? is my question. It’s a fantastic facility, I’m appreciative of all the donors and all the students from the fees to make this project possible. It is an incredible place for our team to work out and not feel like there’s time constraints. In the past, when your practice was over, you had to get off the floor immediately because you never knew which team was coming on and now there’s lots of time throughout the day for them to get extra shots up and extra opportunities to build their game.

Some of my players love to live in the gym, especially Kamy Peppler, she lives in the OHOW now. Not only that, but being able to be fluid from one thing to the next, going from film straight to the court or going straight from the court to weight training right afterwards. It’s really made the practices and the time, and we talk a lot about time management with student-athletes, and how precious their time is but it has made it way more fluid, and it has

allowed us to move more quickly through those things and have less stoppage. So, it is a great facility and our team is eating every moment up that they can in there.”

BL: “It’s our own space. I felt like I was a professor in the classroom again. The OHOW provides us with the ultimate classroom for me. And for the players it provides a high-level facility for guys that really want to get better. The access, the amenities, the ability to be inspired when you walk in there, is really priceless. And then, it’s been fun to have a lot of people come through this summer – boosters, fans, alumni – to see the facility and see the guys when they are in there. So I think it has been a pleasure allaround for everyone.”

RR: Everyone has had a few months in the building … what are the team reviews?

KR: “They have done a lot of TikTok’s, especially in the lounge. I think they enjoy how esthetically pleasing it is when you think about is it ‘Instagram-able’, but your ability to turn it into something that is media-oriented because it is very eye-pleasing. They love having someplace they can call home and a place they can be in at all hours of the day.

We see players in the lounge, we

see men’s and women’s basketball players playing ping pong against one another. The locker room is a place where they feel they can go and relax and be a team together, and then they’ve got this great facility. So, I have heard nothing but great reviews from our players.”

BL: “I think to say it the best, we did this one right. The building is so functional and such a good place for the players. Their reviews have been off the charts. We couldn’t be happier and it is an absolute privilege to be in the OHOW.”

RR: What else has the team/ staff done over the summer?

KR: “We did go to Noah’s Ark as a team and that was very fun. It was some people’s first time to a waterpark like that and so it was quite the experience for some of them to go on the rides. We also went to Summerfest, and the staff went to one band and the players went to another band, but from everything I heard they had a ton of fun there.

We also got out in the community quite a bit, we did a clinic with Marquette women’s basketball where we were able to provide a free clinic to inner-city youth and provide a great opportunity for them to be able to come in and learn basketball and wheelchair

adaptive sports came out and did some wheelchair basketball with them as well so it was quite an experience for a lot of our younger players.

We also went out and did some yardwork for some of our fans that are a little more incapable of getting out in the yard and spending time out there in the summer. We had a lot of fun as a team this summer, and a lot of those opportunities provide for more team-building opportunities. We’re growing as a team for sure.”

BL: “We have been busy. We have had a lot of outreach within the community, we have had camps, we have had fundraisers, we have had picnics, team functions, gettogethers … so we have spent a lot of time together and in the city. So hopefully we took the ‘For the MKE’ to a whole new level.”

WORLD CUP PANTHERS MAKE A STATEMENT FOR PHILIPPINES

The text messages started arriving in the early morning hours of July 25, 2023.

“Did you see what happened?”

“They did it!”

“Can you believe this?”

The state of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee were just waking up that summer morning, but the rest of the soccer world already knew the news. The Philippines, participating in its first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup, had stunned co-host New Zealand by a final score of 1-0.

And what exactly made that so newsworthy for the Milwaukee Panthers?

Well, for the first time in program history, former members of the Milwaukee women’s soccer team were making appearances on the biggest stage in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. A pair of sisters, Chandler McDaniel and Olivia McDaniel, were on the roster of the Philippines National Team.

Olivia played in goal for the Panthers from 2016 to 2019, part of a very successful four-year stretch where the team went 62-9-8 overall as well as an eye-opening 32-1-3 in regular-season Horizon League play. She posted a 1.13 goals-against average as a freshman as well as a perfect 0.00 GAA as a junior.

Chandler transferred to Milwaukee following two years at Virginia Tech and started all 19 games in 2018, finishing the season with one goal and two assists. She made a great first impression, assisting the game-winner in the season opener against Northern Illinois and helped the team to the NCAA Tournament each year (2018/2019).

Olivia entered the World Cup as the first-string goalkeeper. She played a key role in helping the Philippines qualify for its first-ever World Cup when her team faced Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in January. The winner of that match would earn a spot in the World Cup.

Olivia held Taipei to just one goal as regular time ended in a 1-1 draw. In the shootout, she saved two

shots and scored one of her own as the Filipinas won the shootout, 4-3.

“The buildup was so long, because we were one of the first nations to qualify for the World Cup,” Olivia said. “The Asian competition, their qualifying tournament was way, way back, last January. So it had been a good year and a half since we had qualified for the World Cup. But, it was always at the front of our minds, because that was the one thing we were working on and pushing towards this entire journey. We had been doing so many camps and so many friendlies and tournaments to get to that point. I think that it was kind of nonstop. We were kind of playing like a club team. We played 30 games last year as a team, which is really unprecedented for a national team being together as much as we were. So I think it was a bit stressful, but the payoff was really awesome getting to be there. I keep using the words ‘awesome’ and ‘amazing’, but those are just the words that come naturally when thinking about the experience.”

Olivia first played an international match in 2021, and this year had played in 15 international matches for the Philippine national team prior to the WC. In those games, she played 1,291 minutes, posting a 1.31 goals-against average and three shutouts.

Chandler played her first international match in 2022 but suffered an injury in qualifying. She returned to the national team in April 2023 after a 16-month rehab from a torn ACL, playing in the opening match of the 2024 AFC Olympic qualifiers.

“After qualifying, our coach at the time had talked to us and asked us what our goals were and the whole team had come to the consensus that it wasn’t enough to just show up,” Chandler said. “We wanted to show the world that we could still compete and that we did want one win (in the group stage). So our original goal was to make it out of the group. We had that goal in mind and then there were so many games set up for the team. And I think that the team overall just had a really good mindset. And we knew that we didn’t want to only do it for ourselves. We wanted to do it for the country because it was such a big deal for the country to have a team qualify at the world’s largest

stage. Most people wouldn’t think the Philippines is known for sports. So I think just knowing that we weren’t just doing it for ourselves and we’re doing it for the whole country, it just pushed us to go even farther. And then having the support from all the fans that we had, whether it be at the stadium or they were watching from home, also helped us to push even harder.”

After all of the waiting and buildup … then came the real thing.

Game one of group play was a matchup with Switzerland on July 21. Olivia started in goal and Chandler subbed on in the second half, a game in which the team held its own but fell by a final score of 2-0.

Even with a tough loss, the sisters had made it.

“I think you can only allow yourself to be starstruck for a couple seconds and then you have to get back into the game,” Olivia said. “We got to the field and probably for me, right before I went on the field, I was like, ‘this is crazy’ and I was starstruck. But then once I got on the field, it was like, ‘OK, regroup’. It’s just soccer; we have to go play. That’s how it was for me anyways.”

It was a familiar scene for Chandler.

“I was really nervous the first game before Switzerland and I was getting into all the hype behind the World Cup and playing on the largest stage, and then getting there and getting ready and stuff. But the minute you step on the field for warmup, you just come back to reality and you’re like, ‘ohh, well it’s just soccer; it’s just a game’. So I think that really helped bring down the nerves a little bit.”

After losing to Switzerland in its opener and coming into the match against New Zealand a very heavy underdog, the craziness started with a goal in the 24th minute to lead 1-0. As the time slowly ticked away, Olivia had the best view on the field – as the starting goalkeeper. And, as it turned out, played one of the largest roles.

New Zealand ended the contest with 68 percent possession and a 16-4 advantage in shots, but it was McDaniel who came up big with the game on the line.

McDaniel secured the win in extra time with a spectacular save – making a full-out dive to her left on a close-range attempt, directing the ball just wide of the post – on a shot that would have tied it up with less than three minutes remaining in extra time. It was, her coach Alen Stajcic said, “the save of her life.”

“We had scored pretty early on in the game, so we couldn’t really start celebrating much yet because we still had 60 minutes left and it turned out we would be defending for the majority of it,” Olivia recalled. “So, it was a battle. It was a grind for the rest of the game. And you know, taking on so much pressure, it starts to build and build and build and at some point it’s going to pop and it’s something’s going to happen. And that was the moment that they had gotten at the very smack, dab, end of the game. Those are the moments that as a goalkeeper you live for; you do or die. There wasn’t much going on in my head other than ‘don’t let it go in, don’t let it go in, don’t let it go in’. But after that a part of me was so excited and happy, but at the same time I was like, ‘we have to defend a corner now’. And then finally, when they blew the whistle, it was like all of the weight and the pressure falls off your shoulders and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, finally the game’s over, we won’. And it was getting to celebrate with my teammates and the crowd that came and supported us, which was so amazing. They were so loud, especially in a stadium full of Kiwis on home soil. They were so loud and it was really, really exciting and a moment you can’t really replicate over again.”

“Obviously you go in with your team wanting to win a game, but I think actually being able to come out of our very first World Cup with a win against the home nation is huge,” Chandler said. “It definitely makes a statement and it shows the whole world that we’re not just a one-time team – we’re in this

for a long time. So I think being able to also bring that win back home for the country was something that we all wanted to do and I was very happy to be a part of it. Now it’s something that we can look back and say we did it, but we can’t dwell on it. We have to keep moving forward and continue to win big games. So it was very cool.”

The moment was stunning, as the host New Zealand squad carried a FIFA world ranking of No. 26 coming into the matchup, compared to No. 46 for the Philippines. Playing such a key role, Olivia had the world’s media spotlight shine on her immediately afterwards. But she downplayed that just as quickly.

“Our coach gave us until midnight that night to soak it all in and to enjoy it,” Chandler said. “And then after midnight and until the next day, it was ‘we have to refocus now’, like the tournament’s not over. And of course our group was a bit odd at the time because anyone really could have gone through. So we really had to just accept the fact to be happy that we won, but know that we still have a whole other game and if we win the game we could move on. So it was probably a hectic couple of hours because our game was a little later, but then it was just back to business and how can we move on and how do we refocus for the next game. There were a lot of people there and luckily after the game we all got to see our parents, they could come to the hotel. So it was nice seeing them and they did a pretty good job with trying to control the media. But it was definitely a little hectic.”

So how did it all start? How did a couple of sisters from California end up wearing the Black & Gold of the Panthers for their collegiate careers? After all, neither had ever even been to Milwaukee prior to committing to then-head coach Troy Fabiano.

“For me, I had just finished one year at Cal State Fullerton, a school right by where we live (in California),” Olivia said. “And all of my friends were going off to school and going away, moving out of state and I was like, ‘well, I don’t want to be left here by myself’. So I got a call one day from the

coach at the time, Troy, and he said they needed a goalkeeper and you know, it’s super short notice, but if you want to come, come. And I was like, you know what? Why not? It was super short. The season started in maybe a week and half or so. Preseason had started and I had to get on a plane and I knew nobody and I knew I didn’t know where it was or whatever. But I ended up absolutely loving the school. And you know, it turned out to be a great time. I’m pretty thankful for that.”

“Well, I came because Olivia was here,” Chandler joked. “So Olivia was already here, and I came because I was thinking about transferring out (from Virginia Tech). And I think I just decided that I’d have fun if I went with Liv.”

The sisters have great memories of their time at UWM, both on and off the field.

“I think my junior year when we went to PK’s in the semis, that was pretty cool and sticks out,” Chandler said. “We went to penalty kicks in the semifinal (against Oakland) to go on to the championship and the PK’s were pretty intense. I did the last PK so that’s probably why I liked it.”

“I think my favorite moment soccer-wise was when we went and played against Santa Clara, first round in the NCAA tournament (in 2018) and getting to play and all of our family got to come and support us,” Olivia said. “That was really, really cool to see everybody we knew there, especially since we were out of state, so we didn’t really have a lot of family to come to many of our games during the season. Another moment, non-soccer, I’d say getting to go to ‘Golden Panther’ awards [MKE’s student-athlete awards banquet] senior year was really, really fun. I don’t know why it’s stuck in my head, but it was. I always loved going to Golden Panther Awards.”

And now they have come full-circle and have accomplished something no other player has ever done in a program that dates back to 1984.

The fairy tale couldn’t last forever, unfortunately, and the Philippines ended up failing to advance from the group stage after losing to Norway in its third and final match in the tournament.

“The experience is definitely like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Chandler said. “The word that we usually use for it is it’s very ‘surreal’. I mean, just thinking that we went there. I mean, it’s crazy to think that we actually got to experience a dream of ours. And I mean, every little soccer player growing up dreams of actually going to a World Cup. And since we were actually able to do it, it’s pretty amazing. The overall experience as a whole was very amazing. We were very happy to be a part of it and just to have that experience now going forward is just really good to have as overall players.”

The next step for the sisters? Joining a professional team in Austria – together, of course. The pair recently signed to play for FC Pinzgau, a club from Saalfelden in the state of Salzburg. It currently plays in the Austrian Regionalliga Salzburg which is the third tier of Austrian professional soccer.

“It’s a transition period,” Olivia said. “I think right now for our national team, we’re getting a new coach and we’ve been building up to the World Cup for so long and so now we need to refocus on something different. And personally for us, we wanted to find a club team to play for in the meantime. So we’re in Austria right now playing for a pro team here.”

“I think right now we just want to keep playing for as long as possible,” Chandler said. “I think the only things that will determine that are just how our bodies hold up and how we handle the next couple of years. So we would prefer to play together. So I think as of right now, our goal is to just try to be on the same club team for as long as possible and then maybe in the next four years, if we’re still up to it, try to compete at another World Cup.”

Mark it down now Panther fans, and keep an eye out for the McDaniel sisters in the summer of 2027.

New Faces on the Slidelines

Jacob Dietrich Assistant Coach, Women’s Soccer

What is the best part about being a Panther?

Being a part of an amazing environment filled with hardworking staff and student-athletes.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town? State Street Pizza. It is across the street from where I live, and the owner is a great guy.

Best thing you did over the summer?

Getting spend a couple weekends with friends at Pickwick Lake back in Tennessee.

What am you most excited about this season? I think just the opportunity to work with players and staff who want to compete every single day.

Courtney Shelton Assistant Coach, Women’s

Basketball

What is the best part about being a Panther?

Being able to go to work at a beautiful and diverse campus, utilize our elite facilities, and have an impact on student-athletes during their college careers.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town? Onesto or Dorsia’s for Italian Food.

Best thing you did over the summer?

As someone new to Milwaukee, being able to explore the city over the summer was great. I went to the beach, we went to Summerfest as a team, and I had the chance to golf at a few courses around the area.

What am you most excited about this season?

To see our team COMPETE at a high level! We have a very talented group who have been working extremely hard this offseason, so I’m really looking

forward to seeing that competitiveness show in season.

Mike Porcaro Assistant Coach,

Baseball

What is the best part about being a Panther?

The best part about being a Panther is having the opportunity to represent the city of Milwaukee and in our case, the state of Wisconsin at the Division I baseball level. It is an honor and privilege to wear the black and gold and represent this great university.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town?

That is a great question as there are many options to choose from in Milwaukee. For breakfast, my wife and I have always enjoyed going to Sweet Diner down in the Third Ward. If I’m looking for dinner, I’ll go the Italian route and say Calderone Club.

Best thing you did over the summer?

The best thing I did over the summer was make the decision to move back to Wisconsin and rejoin Panther baseball!

What am you most excited about this season?

There is lots to be excited about. I’m very excited for Coach Wegner, as he embarks on his first season as a Head Coach. This season begins a new era of Panther baseball and that itself is exciting. I’m also very excited to see the guys grow throughout the year and come together as a group. I’m looking forward to being a part of their journey and creating lasting memories with them!

Shaun Wegner Head Coach, Baseball

What is the best part about being a Panther?

The people that work here and the relationships that you develop as a Panther make it worth it. We have a collective athletic department that rallies behind each other and supports one another in all their efforts. We know the impact that we can

have on our student-athletes and enjoy the journey that we get to share with them along the way as they mature into professional careers and families. There is a sense of pride that comes with being a Panther.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town?

For those that truly know me, I am a HUGE foodie! I love to explore, research, and evaluate all types of cuisine and food scenes. In all honesty, I am a sucker for food trucks and the ability to find any type of food you might be looking for. I am a big fan of Sobelman’s and their burgers. I lived across from Oakland Gyros for most of my college career so that place still holds a spot in my heart. Another sneaky good spot with really good food is Glorioso’s on Brady Street.

Best thing you did over the summer?

Over the summer I was able to spend some quality time with my immediate and extended family. We made a trip to Door County, to the Three Bears Resort, and I just was the co-best man in my youngest brother’s wedding. We were active on the recruiting trail amidst the job opening and trying to secure this year’s roster which is also something that I have a passion for. The recruiting trail will not be lost on me with the new title and position by any means as our staff continues to be on the search for future Panthers.

What am you most excited about this season?

As a new head coach, I am excited for quite a few things and getting to learn and execute what it takes to continue the tradition of excellence that was built here by Scott Doffek and Jerry Augustine. The roster has a lot of turnover and new faces so getting to know, understand, and develop a lot of new players into our system is going to be fun. We will have a challenging schedule ahead of us and we look forward to getting into some miles and competing against high-level competition to prepare us for the Horizon League season. I also expect to find new avenues to promote, engage and build the Panther fan and alumni base throughout the Greater Milwaukee area, Southeastern Wisconsin, and the rest of the state. Look for future events, opportunities, and happenings that will be coming forth soon.

Will Hall

Assistant Coach, Volleyball

What is the best part about being a Panther?

It’s a great community environment to work in and the student-athletes on our team make it fun every day.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town?

I enjoy going to either Balzac or Harry’s after home games.

Best thing you did over the summer?

I traveled through Minnesota, having the chance to visit family this summer.

What am you most excited about this season?

I’m looking forward to our team having the chance to compete and win the Horizon League Championship!

Mark Goldin

Head Coach, Tennis

What is the best part about being a Panther?

I grew up close by in Bayside and know how great of a university that UWM is. It is great to have all the resources needed to be successful and the other coaches and athletics staff have welcomed me in and made it an easy transition. I love the culture here in the athletic department and can’t wait to start season with the team.

What is your favorite spot to eat around town?

I enjoy C-viche in Shorewood.

Best thing you did over the summer?

This summer I traveled to England to watch Wimbledon.

What am you most excited about this season?

We have a talented team and more importantly, a great group of girls who are good people. Looking forward to success in the Horizon League and building traditions and a culture that will last for many years to come!

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THANK YOU! Your support of MKE Athletics provides opportunities for over 300 studentathletes to pursue excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. *Please contact Cody Bohl

Being a part of the Panther Excellence Fund is not only an investment in the athletic program and student-athletes of Milwaukee, it also provides many benefits for you. The Panther Excellence Fund is excited to announce the following benefits for donors who support the Panthers (beginning in the 2023-24 academic year). Benefits will be awarded according to athletics annual gifts and will be available to Panther Excellence Fund members the following sports/academic year.

For more information or to hear about opportunities to get involved with Milwaukee Athletics, please contact Chris Roche (rochec@uwm.edu) or Cody Bohl (bohl@uwm.edu).

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