Badgers Declaw Wildcats
October 11, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Coming off the bench Friday night, junior Jenny Kundert scored two goals on two shots, leading the Wisconsin women's soccer team over Northwestern, 2-1, in Evanston, Ill. In the Badgers' 14 games this season, 11 have been decided by a goal or less.
'All these games are so close in our conference,' coach Dean Duerst said. 'To get a win on the road is big. To gain more separation [between our opponents] and keep climbing [in the standings] is very important. '
The Badgers' first goal came in the 20th minute of play. Sophomore Amy Vermeulen tallied her third assist on the year advancing the ball to Kundert. Kundert, who was about thirty yards out, wasted no time with Vermeulen's pass and shot it to the far post, high over the keeper.
'Amy, Jenny and Marisa [Brown] are really combining quite well,' Duerst said. 'Other people are playing their roles and we 're getting good opportunities from those three [who are] combining well off each other.'
Kundert notched the game-winner and her team-leading seventh goal of the year at 32:25, blasting a shot past the NU keeper. Kundert found the ball 15 yards out after a cross and a couple of blocked shots and fired a rocket past the diving keeper. It was Kundert's third multi-goal game of the season.
The Wildcats clawed back in the second, cutting into the Badgers ' lead off of Aileen Guiney's 15-footer. Guiney took a cross from Julie Lipinski and one-timed it home. Northwestern outshot the Badgers 10-5 and held a 9-2 advantage over UW in corner kicks, but couldn't capitalize, despite a late game surge.
'They created a lot of pressure on us in the last 20 minutes of the game,' Duerst said. 'I'm very proud of how we hung in there and dug out the victory. I thought our players put a great barrier around the goal. '
Senior keeper Kelly Conway made two saves for the Badgers while NU 's keeper Anne Helm notched one.
With one game remaining on their four-game road stretch, the Badgers (6-5-3 overall, 3-2-2 Big Ten) get a little breather, returning home tonight. UW travels to UW-Milwaukee Sunday and kicks off against the Panthers at noon.
