The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s soccer team had one obvious trait this year. After watching the Panthers play, you could sense what that trait was.

Confidence.

And why shouldn’t they? The Panthers set four school records this season, including wins with 16 and goals allowed with just 10.

The Panthers took their confidence and spirited play all the way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament Nov. 12. Going against the No. 1 team in the land, Notre Dame, the Panthers came out firing on all cylinders against the Fighting Irish.

“Our mentality coming in was to run right at them and I thought we were successful doing that,” said head coach Mike Moynihan. “Looking at the stats, it was a close game.”

Looking at the only stat that matters, however, the Panthers lacked. The Panthers gave up an early goal in the fifth minute and were unable to recover and net the equalizer. Despite dictating the flow of the play most of the game, the Panthers’ offense could not find the back of the net.

"The only portion of the game we struggled was the first 10 minutes,” Moynihan said. “Once we settled down, I thought we controlled the majority of the midfield play."

The game’s only goal came from Notre Dame’s Michele Wiessenhofer. Wiessenhofer received a pass that pierced through the Milwaukee defense and put the ball past sophomore keeper Erin Kane from just eight yards out.

UWM’s stingy defense held Notre Dame to just nine shots, five below the Irish’s season average. The Irish accounted for the game’s every offside call, getting whistled six times for the offense. The Irish fouled the Panthers 17 times, while the disciplined Panthers fouled the opposition only eight times.

The Panthers came close to tying the game several times, but simply could not finish.

"You can look at this game and say we were so close to a win against the number one team in the country. Or what could have been with a different bracket," Moynihan said. "But, this was a great opportunity to play the number one team in the country for our seniors that are leaving and for the education of our younger players."

This was the Panthers second straight year ending their season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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