Lombardi, Smith Named To All-WIAC Team

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Juniors Arianna Lombardi and Lydia Smith were named to the 2023 All-WIAC Women's Soccer Team it was announced on Wednesday. Freshman Madison Way and junior Anna Spindle were named Honorable Mention, while junior Alyssa Peterson earned a nod to the All-Sportsmanship Team.

In her first year with the Pioneers, Lombardi proved to be one of the best offensive players in the conference. The junior paced the WIAC in several categories, including goals (9), points (24), shots (69), and shots on goal (34). The Bourbonnais, Illinois native tied for second in the conference with six assists and scored three game-winning goals for the Pioneers. Lombardi opened the season with a hat trick against Concordia Chicago, and scored goals in four straight conference games, including the game-winners in 1-0 wins over UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater.

Smith provided UW-Platteville with another strong offensive threat, scoring six goals and four assists across 16 games. The junior tied for fourth in the conference with six goals and 16 points and ranked inside the top four in both shots (45) and shots on goal (22). The Troy, Illinois native set a new program record for career assists with 20 on her final assist of the season on October 14 at UW-Stout. Smith scored a pair of game-winning goals on the year, which tied for fifth in the WIAC.

Way made 10 appearances in net for the Pioneers, allowing just four goals. The freshman ranked second in the conference in both goals against average (.470) and save percentage (.862), while recording four shutouts. The Blaine, Minnesota native finished with 25 saves on the season, including a season-high six against Luther on September 20.

Spindle started all 16 games in the midfield, scoring two goals on the season. The junior helped the Pioneers allow just .69 goals against per game, which ranked second in the WIAC. The Geneva, Illinois native scored both her goals early in the season in wins over Edgewood and Coe.

Peterson started all 16 games, totaling three goals and two assists. The junior came on strong in the second half of the year, with all eight of her points coming in the final six contests. The Nex Lenox, Illinois native netted the game-winner against North Park on October 8 and tallied a goal and an assist in a win over UW-Stevens Point.

The Pioneers season continues on Thursday when they host third-seeded UW-Eau Claire in the WIAC Semifinals at 6 p.m. The winner of the match advances to the WIAC Championship on Saturday.

The full WIAC release can be found HERE.