Badgers Ice Iowa
October 05, 2001 | Women's Soccer
The Wisconsin women's soccer team broke out of its scoring slump on a chilly night, scoring three goals in a 3-1 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes at the McClimon Soccer Complex Friday. The Badgers, who had not scored in Big Ten play this season, improve to 4-4-2 overall, 1-3-1 Big Ten.
'We needed that,' coach Dean Duerst said after the Badgers' first win since Sept. 17. '[Tonight] you saw the Badgers that were meant to be.'
However, eight minutes into the game, Iowa took an early lead over Bucky. Sarah Lynch fired a perfectly placed ball that flew high into the net just past the outstretched arms of UW keeper Kelly Conway (Littleton, Colo.). But Conway did not falter, making five saves in the first half and shut out the Hawkeyes the rest of the way.
After the break, Wisconsin took control in the second half. UW poured on the shots, outshooting Iowa 12-3 in the final 45 minutes of the game.
'We showed an aggressiveness, an assertiveness in the second half,' Duerst said. 'In past games, the ball hasn't bounced our way; but the ball did bounce our way today. We made the ball bounce our way.'
Freshman Amy Vermeulen (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) got the first Badger bounce with her third goal of the season, a ball that she sent into the high left corner of the net. Three minutes later, Vermeulen registered the game winner, her first as a Badger, with a successful header in front of the net. Senior Natalie Roedler (Mendota Heights, Minn.) assisted on the goal.
'We needed a spark from Amy,' Duerst said. 'I told her before the game that I had a feeling [about tonight].'
With two minutes left in the game, senior Kelly Kundert (Madison, Wis.) got the ball on a breakaway and scored off a deflected clearing pass from the goalkeeper. The ball hit the right post and went in for Kundert's fourth goal of the season. Kundert shares the team goal lead with Vermeulen and leads the team with 10 points.
'She really played her game,' Duerst said of Kundert. 'She did the things she needs to do for this team to succeed. '
The Badgers continue their four-game homestand against Illinois on Sunday at noon.
