Looking to rebound from its Sunday loss to No. 6 Penn State, No. 12 Wisconsin (5-2-1 Big Ten, 11-2-1 overall) played to a scoreless tie in double overtime against Iowa Wednesday.
Wisconsin’s best chance to score in the first half came from junior midfielder Molly Laufenberg, who put a shot off the crossbar. Both the Badgers and Hawkeyes recorded six shots in the first half.
Wisconsin picked up the pressure in the second half, coming out strong and getting two quick corner kicks. After that, however, the second half was back and forth and neither team was able to gain an edge. When the game ended after two periods of extra time, UW goalkeeper Genevieve Richard had recorded her 11th shutout.
The Badgers now travel to Evanston, Illinois, to take on Northwestern Sunday. Despite the tie to Iowa, Wisconsin comes into the matchup having won four of its last six games.
The Badgers’ high-powered attack is led by junior midfielder Kinley McNicoll and senior forward Cara Walls, who have a combined 15 goals this season. However, Wisconsin has not scored in either of its last two games.
Wisconsin’s success this season has been based on their ability to shutdown the opposing team’s attack. To do this, the Badgers have relied on the stellar performance of Richard. Her 11 shutouts and 0.49 goals against average are among the best in the Big Ten.
Northwestern (1-5-1, 5-6-2) is coming off its first conference win after defeating the No. 19 Illinois 2-0 last Sunday. The Wildcats will look to feed off the hot foot of Addie Steiner, who had both of the goals against Illinois.
Other than that two-goal performance, Northwestern has been struggling to score this year, averaging just 0.86 goals per game. That, in combination with an opponent goals per game average of 1.71, has resulted in the Wildcats losing several close games.
The Badgers are currently in fourth place in the Big Ten and a win keeps them in the conversation for the Big Ten championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
