The Wisconsin women’s soccer team (4-1-1) is rolling into Big Ten Conference play after two road games that saw seven different goal scorers this weekend.
The No.16 Badgers began Labor Day weekend with a 2-0 shutout against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday, followed by a 6-2 win over Central Michigan University on Sunday.
These wins bring non-conference play to a close for Wisconsin, who will face a Big Ten conference that is continuing to grow in talent and competition. The Badgers finished fifth in the conference last year and are projected fourth this season.
Back-to-back goals in Milwaukee
The Badgers faced a familiar opponent in the UW-Milwaukee Panthers on Thursday, traveling 80 miles east to Engelmann Stadium.
In the first game of their roadtrip, Wisconsin carried the momentum for most of the first half. The game stayed scoreless until the 39th minute when senior Taylor Gordon scored her first goal of the season off a header assisted by sophomore Sascha Beasley.
The Badgers came back for more just four minutes later as freshman Margaret Sisk scored a banger from outside the box to double their lead 2-0.
The Badgers held their lead after halftime to take the shutout victory, despite a late push from the Panther offense, who totaled six shots on goalkeeper Drew Stover. The senior named to the 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy watchlist earned her 21st career shutout on Thursday.
Stover was behind a steady backline that carried the team through the second half. Led by Hailey Baumann and Kiara Gilmore, the defense allowed three shots in the second half, something they would carry with them to the game on Sunday against CMU.
Six different Badgers score on Sunday
Sisk scored her third goal in three games in Sunday’s 6-2 win over Central Michigan at CMU soccer complex – although Central Michigan kept most of the game within striking distance.
The freshman forward/midfielder from Hartland, WI is making a case for a starting position, as it was her 81st minute goal that cemented Wisconsin’s win. Before that, the Badgers got out to a seemingly convincing 3-0 lead in the first 22 minutes of the game.
Gilmore scored the first goal in the opening minutes of the game off a set piece from Izy Traub. Jane Rodgers and Anya Gulbrandsen both scored midway through the first half. But, minutes after Gulbrandsen’s goal, CMU’s Kylee Weed notched one past Stover to make it 3-1 going into halftime.
Both teams traded goals coming out of halftime to keep the game within two at 4-2, until Sisk’s goal crushed any chance for a Chippewa comeback, making the score 5-2. Grace Dykstra’s strike from outside the box capped off Wisconsin’s 6-2 victory.
Wisconsin will open their Big Ten Conference schedule against University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign on Sep. 10. It’ll be a fun one at Demirjian Park, as the Fighting Illini are unbeaten this season (3-0-3), putting up results against strong non-conference opponents, including Virginia Tech University and University of Georgia.
Shane Colpoys is a sports editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has written in-depth on the Wisconsin women's hockey team beat.
