The Wisconsin women's soccer team (5-2-3 Big ten, 10-5-3 overall) swept their weekend series' against Purdue (4-5-1, 7-10-2) in a 5-1 win on Friday and a 2-0 win on Sunday against Indiana (2-8, 6-11-1). As a result of these victories, the Badgers secured their spot in the Big Ten Conference tournament.
""Getting two wins in a weekend was going to be really important for us physically as a group. We haven't done that since Dayton and Cincinnati,"" UW head coach Paula Wilkins said. ""We got more people wanting to play, and we got some more people playing time, getting ready for the Big Ten tournament because it's going to be a couple-day tournament.""
In the first game of the weekend, the Badgers scored early and often as they scored a season-high five goals from five different players. They started the offensive surge in the 12th minute. Junior midfielder Monica Lam-Feist passed it to freshman midfielder Julia Roddar, who then fed it back to Lam-Feist for the perfect give-and-go goal.
Wisconsin scored again in the 27th minute with Roddar recording her first career goal with an assist from Lam-Feist. The Badgers weren't done yet in the first half as they scored at the 44:31 mark from a header from junior defender Joana Bielefeld.
Purdue finally got on the board in the 65th minute from the foot of senior Kellie Phillips on a straight corner kick. However, Wisconsin would add on two more goals at the 76:25 mark from junior midfielder Alev Kelter and another at the 82nd minute as senior forward Laurie Nosbusch scored her sixth goal of the season.
In the second game of the weekend, the Badgers were extremely aggressive early on as they got several scoring chances but had nothing to show for it. However, Wisconsin was able to capitalize on an Indiana blunder in the 21st minute. Indiana senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell tried to pass the ball to clear it out but it was intercepted by freshman forward Cara Walls who was able to find the back of the net from there.
""I think it was instinct and being in the right place at the right time,"" Walls said of her eighth goal of the year. ""I was there and I was ready to finish.""
Walls found the back of the net again for her team-leading ninth goal of the year at the 69:15 mark off of passes from sophomore defender Catie Sessions and Nosbusch.
Senior goalkeeper Michele Dalton had another great performance in goal as she recorded her sixth shutout of the year and stopped a key penalty kick in the 58th minute from the foot of Indiana junior forward Orianica Velasquez.
Wisconsin returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. against Iowa for the final home game of the season.
