A fresh new season has begun for the Wisconsin women's soccer team. It is a season filled with hope and promise after the Badgers' successful 2000 campaign, when they finished with a 16-7-1 overall record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten.
'We spent the first two weeks in the Regent and we got to know each other really well,' senior forward Kelly Kundert said. 'Our team has really bonded, which is good and this team is probably the closest team I have seen here in my experience. The freshmen bring good competition to the team and it makes for great team chemistry.'
2001 Women's Soccer Scheduleat Oakland University, 4 p.m. at Notre Dame, 1 p.m. Rocky Rococo Wisconsin Invitational MAINE, 5 p.m. EVANSVILLE, 2 p.m. PURDUE, 7 p.m. INDIANA, noon at Michigan State, 4 p.m. at Michigan, 1 p.m. IOWA, 7 p.m. ILLINOIS, noon UW-MILWAUKEE, 7 p.m. MINNESOTA, noon at Penn State, 7 p.m. at Ohio State, 11:30 a.m. NORTHWESTERN, 7 p.m. MARQUETTE, noon at Illinois State, 3 p.m. at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Big Ten Championships at Purdue, TBA *Home games in CAPS. *All home games played at McClimon Track/Soccer Complex. *All times are CST and subject to change. |
This past weekend the Badgers kicked off their season with a road trip to Colorado and came out with a 1-1 record after defeating Colorado 4-2 and losing to Colorado College 2-1.
The Badgers' first game of the 2001 season proved to be an offensive show as the team received offensive firepower from numerous players against Colorado. Freshman Amy Vermeulen scored the opening goal of the game with sophomore Jenny Kundert giving her the assist. Kundert next set up her older sister Kelly for the second goal of the game. Sophomore Tia Dale hit the game-winning shot on an assist by sophomore Lisa Himrod and senior Natalie Roedler put in the final goal to seal the victory.
Wisconsin then moved on to face a tough foe in Colorado College. The Badgers out-shot their opponent 17 to 8, but in the end could only manage one goal. Senior Wynter Pero had the solo score with the assist from freshman Kristen Betz.
With the first-game jitters behind the Badgers, the team will continue on with their season this weekend with a road trip to Michigan and Indiana.
The Badgers will face Oakland University in Michigan Sept. 7 and then travel to Notre Dame to play the third-ranked Fighting Irish Sunday.
'This is a good preview of what every weekend will be for Wisconsin,' UW Head Coach Dean Duerst said. 'The games are going to be good and they are going to be tight.'
Oakland began the 2001 season with a 7-1 exhibition loss to Virginia, but continued on to win the Verizon Wireless Tournament, hosted by UW-Milwaukee. Oakland beat host UWM 5-1 and neighbor Marquette 2-1 to take the title.
Oakland senior forward Anita Rapp, who led her team with three goals and one assist, earned offensive MVP honors in the tournament while Oakland sophomore goalie Sarah Buckland received defensive MVP honors with 10 saves and just one goal allowed.
Notre Dame has begun the season sizzling, with two big exhibition wins and two regular-season wins. The Fighting Irish started off the regular season with a 2-1 win over eighth-ranked Penn State and then moved on to beat 25th-ranked Hartford 2-0.
The Irish combine a tough offense with a 28-game home winning streak and will prove to be a tough opponent for the Badgers.
'We are really excited to play Notre Dame and I think our team is confident,' Duerst said. 'We just need to go in there with some confidence, assertiveness and aggression instead of 'oh no this is one of the top teams in the country.' I think our players are going to be hungry for a victory.'
