Badgers Look to Make Push in Big Ten
October 08, 2004 | Women's Soccer
With just four Big Ten Conference matches remaining in its schedule, the University of Wisconsin's women's soccer team (8-3-1 overall, 2-3-1 Big Ten) looks to keep up its momentum from a strong weekend when it plays host to Minnesota at 7 p.m. Friday and Iowa at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, both at McClimon Soccer Complex.
In addition to the 1-0 win over Purdue and the 5-2 win over Indiana over the weekend, a couple of victories by the Badgers in the remaining league matches would solidify a spot for them in the Big Ten tournament.
Only the top eight teams make the tournament, and UW currently sits in a tie for sixth place with seven points.
"You need to win games on the road in the Big Ten to finish in the upper part," head coach Dean Duerst said. "(With the past two wins), we've proven we can win in this league."
And prove they did. On Friday, UW withstood an all-out Purdue attack in the second half to hold its 1-0 lead and come out triumphantly. Then on Friday, the Badgers showed their offense is just as good as their defense in scoring five goals against the Hoosiers.
Wisconsin now turns to a pair of teams that will be hungry for wins for their last chance to make the tournament. First on the agenda are the Gophers (3-8-0, 0-6-0), who dropped matches to Northwestern (2-1) and Illinois (4-0) over the weekend to tally seven straight losses.
Against the Wildcats, Minnesota, which has only scored more than one goal in a game once this season, was able to break a streak of four consecutive times it has been shut out when forward Haley Lentsch scored in the second period. She shares the team lead in goals scored with two.
"It's important for us to start hot against Minnesota," Duerst said. "We have to go right after them."
The Hawkeyes (0-8-2) also have struggled this year, managing two ties to accompany eight losses, which include a 6-0 rout by Northwestern and a 3-2 decision to Illinois.
The main problem that Iowa faces is scoring, as the team has only managed five goals so far this season. Wisconsin has not lost to the Hawkeyes since 2000.
"Iowa is a team that is a little down this year," Duerst said. "But we still need to take care of business and not look past them."
The Hawkeyes will take on Loyola-Chicago on Friday prior to playing the Badgers.
