In 2008, UW women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins was working on her first recruiting class for the Badgers, having left the dynamic Penn State program to rebuild the program in Wisconsin. One of Wilkins' first targets for the Badgers was Erin Jacobsen, a young midfielder homeschooled in Wheaton, Ill.
The precocious player already had many accolades to her name despite her young age. She was part of a team that won the Kick-it 3-v-3 Disney World Championship in 2006 and 2007.
Jacobsen's team won a National Indoor Championship and a Region III Championship Invitational. She trained in Brazil during the summer of 2006, and contributed to a championship victory in the Rio de Janeiro Cup. The tournament final was held in Maracanã Stadium, the same venue that hosted the men's FIFA World Cup final in 1950, and the probable location for the World Cup final in 2014.
However, for all of her past successes and experiences on the big stage, Jacobsen never lost focus and always put her team first. When coach Wilkins visited her during recruiting, she knew that Jacobsen would be a pivotal team member right from the beginning.
""She asked me if she could make an impact, and I said, ‘I definitely think you will,'"" Wilkins said. ""We thought she was going to bring good athleticism, a good soccer sense, a passion for soccer, good physicality. We thought she was going to be an important part for us right from the get-go.""
Jacobsen has been nothing short of critical for Wisconsin in her three years as a Badger. She has started all 57 matches since she arrived on campus after graduating early in 2008 to join the team. She finished third on the team with 12 points (three goals and four assists) in her first year and was named to the 2008 Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
""What we wanted to do was build the program,"" Jacobsen said. ""Everyone who came that year knew that's what we wanted to do. Even the year prior, we knew that coach [Wilkins] had come here, we knew that's what we wanted to do. We just wanted to build this program and see what we could do.""
Jacobsen's sophomore year was highlighted by a game-winning strike from 30 yards out in the 89th minute of the final regular season match against Northwestern. However, she has seen her role on the offense decrease this season, as she's found a rhythm as a holding midfielder playing just in front of the defense.
Her success this season has coincided with one of the best defensive seasons ever for the Badgers, culminating in a 10-match shutout streak that tied the school record. In typically selfless fashion, Jacobsen has embraced her role as an unsung leader.
""Everyone plays a role on the team, and right now I'm playing more defensively, and that's my role on the team,"" Jacobsen said. ""It's been fun, and we've been successful, which is great. Everyone's been playing defense. From the forwards back to the goalie, everyone's been playing defense.""
Predictably, Jacobsen was quick to praise her teammates along the backline. ""It's been fun playing in front of those guys [the defense], Jacobsen said. They do a great job back there.""
""We talk about all of the shutouts and all of the defending, and I think it starts with her in the midfield eliminating a lot of stuff,"" Wilkins said. ""She's irreplaceable in terms of her focus and her ability to cut out passes. She's really shut down some of the best players in the country.""
For all of her success on the field, Jacobsen is also a diligent student, being named as a 2010 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar as a pharmacy major. While there are many chapters yet to be written in Jacobsen's career as a Badger, coach Wilkins was spot-on in her initial assessment of whether Jacobsen would have an impact.
