The Wisconsin women’s soccer team will get one final non-conference tuneup match against Northern Iowa Tuesday before its Big Ten premiere against No. 16 Purdue Friday.
The Badgers will face a new pack of Panthers on the prowl and try to redeem Friday’s disappointing 1-0 loss to rival UW-Milwaukee. Wisconsin is currently ranked No. 12 in the Great Lakes region at 3-3-1 while Northern Iowa stands at 3-5-1.
Wisconsin head coach Paula Wilkins said the game against UWM was a wake up call for Wisconsin.
“In front of their home crowd they didn’t bring a competitive nature,” Wilkins said after Friday’s game. “We’re going to change that.”
An 84-minute lightning delay five minutes into the game seemed to drain the intensity and sharpness of the Badgers Friday night.
Wisconsin will focus on improving one-on-one defending, putting pressure on the ball and transitioning between offense and defense. According to Wilkins, improvement will require implementing drills and tactics learned in practice to the games.
“There are definitely things we need to work on,” UW junior forward Taylor Walsh said. “But it’s not anything new. It’s things that we’ve been working on all season.”
Walsh and sophomore midfielder Krista Liskevych have been leading the Badger offense, kicking a combined 23 shots this season, nearly half the team total. Meanwhile, the UW defense hinges on junior goalkeeper Jamie Klages, who has saved 38 of 44 shots on goal this season.
None of the players are satisfied with their .500 record, but they remain optimistic about the season.
“Losses are always hard,” Klages said. “But you never aim for anything lower than first [in the Big Ten].”
Northern Iowa freshman midfielder Chelsie Hochstedler leads the Panthers in goals with six of the team’s eight. The Badger offense will shoot against Panther senior goalie Heidi O’Mara, who has saved 33 of 46 shots on goal so far.
Wilkins said she is hoping to reverse the trend of UW taking fewer shots and stopping more goals than opponents. Wisconsin is 6-for-53 shooting, and opponents have made seven of 93 shots this year. The Badgers are also looking to foul less frequently, as they currently have a 98-87 edge over opponents.
The Badgers-Panthers duel begins at 7 p.m. at the McClimon Soccer Complex. Wisconsin will play at Purdue Friday.
