The Wisconsin women’s soccer team lost to in-state rival UW-Milwaukee 1-0 Friday night while enduring a windy downpour at home, putting their overall record at 3-3-1.
Only five minutes into the first half, nearby lightning forced the players off the field. Play resumed once the storm passed 84 minutes later. The initial crowd of 720 was reduced, but a committed core of fans sported umbrellas and raincoats to see the action.
The match remained scoreless at halftime, and the lone point was made in the first minutes of the second half. Panther sophomore forward Erin Kreuser kicked the ball into the left corner of the net from 20 yards out and was assisted by two teammates.
“They caught us all kind of sleeping,” junior goalkeeper Jamie Klages said. “Which is disappointing because we’re better than that.”
The Badgers failed to keep the ball on opposing territory, and Klages was forced to defend twice as many shots as her Panther counterpoint. UW kicked only five shots to UWM’s 10. Klages saved seven shots, while the Panthers only needed to save three.
Sophomore midfielder Krista Liskevych kicked two of the Badgers’ five shots against UWM. Three others, all shots on goal, came from junior Taylor Walsh and seniors Shannon Terry and Katy Meuer.
“We’re getting better and better, minus this game,” Madison-native Walsh said about the offense. “I don’t think we showed what we can do.”
Wisconsin shot five corner kicks compared to UWM’s two, but they were unable to capitalize on any. Although fouls have been a problem for the Badgers, they were similar for each team. UW collected 11 fouls while the Panthers had 10.
First year head coach Paula Wilkins said the team was in the wrong state of mind and did not tackle or pressure the ball enough. “I don’t think we were able to change gears like them,” Wilkins said.
Although the rain and wet field made it harder for players to control the ball, none offered this as an excuse.
Friday marked Wisconsin’s second consecutive loss to the Panthers. However, the Badgers came out on top in 17 of the last 24 matches. UW’s loss puts the Panthers record at 4-3.
While Wisconsin’s record doesn’t show it, their lopsided gap between shots and saves is a season trend. UW has saved 40 shots on goal this season, while opponents saved 20. Similarly, the Badgers kicked only 53 shots so far while opponents have racked up 95. Solid goalkeeping and efficient scoring has kept the season point difference to only 6-7.
“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board,” Wilkins said. “We’ve got to have a little reality check here before we head into Northern Iowa Tuesday and the Big Ten.”
