MADISON, Wis. – The No. 9 Wisconsin women's soccer team was golden for the second-straight game. Wisconsin followed up its 1-0 overtime win over Minnesota with a 2-1 overtime victory over Big Ten rival Michigan State on Thursday night.
 
Lauren Rice's golden goal won the game for Wisconsin in the 94th minute. The goal was the freshman's first gamewinner as a Badger. The victory extends Wisconsin's winning streak to seven games, moving them to 2-0 in Big Ten play and 8-1 overall.
 
Three minutes and 54 seconds into the extra period, Rice won it for the Badgers, assisted on the play by Dani Rhodes, her second assist of the night.
 
Following the first half, neither team was able to find the back of the net, but the Badgers held a marginal advantage in shots (4-1).
 
Rhodes and Cameron Murtha each managed to put one shot on goal during the first half, and the Badgers defense kept things in check, holding the Spartans without a shot on goal and allowing only one corner kick.
 
Michigan State (4-6-0), unable to put a single shot on goal in the first half, nearly opened up the scoring when Wisconsin goalkeeper Caitlyn Clem was caught out of position but the shot went wide left.
 
Five minutes into the second half, Rhodes broke away from the Spartan defense and made a well-placed strike to the opposite corner of the goal, only to see Michigan State goalie Reilley Ott make a fingertip-save. Following the near-goal, things stayed even at 0.
 
Michigan State managed their first shot on goal in the eighth minute of the second half, Brittany Tanner broke away from the Badger defense, only to have her shot knocked away by Clem.
 
Following a few scares early into the second half, the defenses of both teams locked down their respective ends of the field for the better part of 20 minutes. But as the time remaining in regulation began to fade away, the game's intensity was turned up significantly, with both teams making a number of runs.
 
The deadlock was finally broken in the 80th minute, when Becca Harrison's strike zipped past the left side of Michigan State's keeper to put the Badgers on top. The goal was Harrison's first of the season. Rhodes and Payton Wesley assisted on the play.
 
The Badgers' cushion did not last long, however, as the Spartans tied the game two minutes later. With 6:52 remaining in regulation, Jamie Cheslik broke through the Wisconsin defense and scored.
 
Neither team managed to score before the end of regulation, and the Badgers went to overtime for the second consecutive game—and for the second-straight game the winning goal came after the 90th minute.
 
 
Straight from the pitch:
Head Coach, Paula Wilkins
 
On the team's momentum and getting another Big Ten win:
"It was great…Being such a young group, I didn't know how they would respond, and I thought they responded well. They were able to get their composure back and we saw that result in the first overtime."
 
On how she thought the girls adjusted after the first goal:
"The question was how they would adjust, and after that they stopped playing, but after a little while we picked up the pace. I thought fatigue was a little bit of an issue, but they did the things that they needed to do in order to get the win.
 
On how this game impacts the others coming up:
"I think it just shows them [the team] that they have the ability to do it, and whenever you have that belief within yourself, you'll win in overtime."
 
Up Next: The No. 9 Badgers will host Michigan this Sunday, Sept. 24 at the McClimon Soccer Complex at 1 p.m.