The only thing Wisconsin women's soccer coach Paula Wilkins might regret about her success at Penn State is that she may have made the conference rival too good. The Badgers will be looking to upset No. 11 Penn State at 7 p.m. Friday.
Wilkins, first-year head coach, came to UW after six consecutive Big Ten regular season championships and six NCAA playoff berths at Penn State. Her overall record at Penn State was a stellar 119-19-11, giving her the second highest win percentage among active coaches. The Badgers are craving to upstage their coach's former team.
It's good to have that extra bit of motivation,"" junior goalkeeper Jamie Klages said. ""Actually one of my [old] coaches from Nebraska is now coaching there, so it's an even bigger incentive for me.""
Although the Badgers are coming off two disappointing Big Ten shutouts against Purdue and Indiana last weekend, they do have some momentum going into Penn State. Against Indiana Sunday, the Badgers allowed two goals early in the first half but stepped up their game the second half. After kicking only one shot in the first 45 minutes, the UW offense outshot the Hoosiers 11-4 in the second half.
Sophomore midfielder Krista Liskevych kicked four shots against Indiana in the second half, and the UW offense collectively kicked four shots on goal. Junior forward Tricia Krombach and senior midfielder Katy Meuer also performed well and landed three and two shots, respectively.
""I think we'll carry that momentum into this weekend,"" Klages said
.
Coming out strong in the first half has been a problem for the Badgers this season. Only 27 of the team's 69 shots and two of six goals this season were kicked during the first half of play. Liskevych said the team needs to stay focused early to prevent scores within the first minutes of the game.
""We've been really trying to focus on details,"" Liskevych said. ""[Our coach] knows Penn State's weaknesses, so we have a couple offensive tactics that we are going to use.""
Penn State is currently 7-2-1 and has a 19-7 advantage on goals against opponents. The Nittany Lions' offense is lead by Katie Schoepfer and Aubrey Aden-Buie, a tandem of forwards who scored 11 of the team's goals.
Alyssa Naher, Penn State's goalie, saved 50 of 57 shots on goal this season, or nearly 90 percent.
Klages' current save percentage is at 77 percent.
The Badgers' record stands at 3-5-1, but only one of these losses occurred at home. Wilkins said she hopes home-field advantage will keep her team more consistent and focused throughout the game in order to minimize mental mistakes, win tackles and keep possession of the ball.
""I'm looking forward to it,"" Wilkins said. ""It's exciting getting the opportunity to play one of the best teams in the country.""
The Badgers will have two chances to correct their 0-2 Big Ten record this weekend. They will host a game Sunday against Ohio State at 2 p.m.
