The Wisconsin women's soccer team completed a successful weekend at McClimon Soccer Complex Sunday, knocking off Michigan State 3-0 after tying Michigan 1-1 on Friday.
The Badgers (3-2-1 Big Ten, 6-4-3 overall) wasted little time getting the scoring started against the Spartans (1-4-0, 5-7-1) Sunday, scoring three goals in the first 16 minutes.
Senior midfielder Kara Kabellis put UW on the board first at 5:22 with her fourth goal of the season. Junior defender Ann Eshun served a free kick into the middle of the box, where Kabellis was able to get her head on the ball and knock it past Spartans goalkeeper Nicole Galas.
With the assist, Eshun has now tallied one assist in each of the past four games. Her six assists on the season tie her for first in the Big Ten, and her ability to precisely locate free kicks has made her a weapon for the Badgers.
""My job is just to put the ball in a dangerous position,"" Eshun said. ""I have the easy part. If I get it there, I know they'll be dangerous with it.""
After Kabellis' goal, sophomore forward Taylor Walsh quickly put the game out of reach. The Madison native connected on her team-leading fourth and fifth goals of the season less than four minutes a part, the second coming at 15:52. Both goals were assisted by senior Allison Preiss and sophomore Sheri Ferron.
Sunday's win over the Spartans was also a historic one for the Badgers. Head coach Dean Duerst, already the winningest coach in UW history, won his 150th game on the same weekend the program celebrated its 25th anniversary by welcoming more than 100 former players and coaches back to Madison.
""I don't think it could have come on a better day,"" Duerst said of his milestone victory. ""It's something I really wasn't that aware of. Those things creep on coaches. But how it was capped off by this weekend, this is something I'll never forget.""
Friday night's 1-1 tie against Michigan (1-2-2, 5-5-4) is one that might be difficult for the Badgers to forget, this time thanks to a somewhat controversial ending. With 1:11 remaining in the second overtime, UW sophomore forward Elise Weber streaked into the left side of the penalty box, where she was taken down by the last Wolverine defender. The foul, which brought a yellow card, appeared to occur inside the box, which would have resulted in a penalty kick, but the referee called the foul less than a foot outside the penalty area.
""I was definitely in the box,"" Weber said after the game. ""That call should be made whether there are 20 minutes left in the game or one minute left in the game. But it's over now, so there's nothing we can do about it. We had a lot of other chances we could have put away too.""
Wisconsin played from behind for much of the game after Michigan senior forward Judy Coffman put the Wolverines on top early at 15:18. The Badgers answered late in the second half when Eshun's free kick connected with Preiss, who knocked in her second goal of the season. The Badgers were unable to take advantage of several subsequent opportunities to tack on a second goal.
""We just missed a few of those things that can turn a game and make it go your way,"" Duerst said. ""We needed, I think in the second half, to put Michigan down a goal, and see what they're made of.""
The Badgers head to Indiana Friday to take on the Hoosiers.
