Wisconsin Badgers
North Carolina
Badgers head to No. 3 North Carolina
August 23, 2023 | Women's Soccer
Badgers meet the Tarheels for the first time since 1997
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's soccer team is on the road for the first time this season to take on No. 3 North Carolina.
Here are five things to know:
1. 299 WINS FOR WILKINS: Head Coach Paula Wilkins can reach 300 wins on the North Carolina road trip. Wilkins is the winningest coach in program history and sits third on the all-time Big Ten list for career victories. She now has her eyes on becoming the 27th coach with Division I experience to join the 300-win club.
2. KNOW THE OPPONENT: Historically, UNC has been a dominant power in women's soccer, earning 22 of the 31 National Championship titles. The Badgers have faced the Tarheels five times, with their most recent meeting coming in 1997. UNC sits in third place on the USC Poll after their opening week, where they had a 0-0 draw against No. 10 Penn State and won 3-1 against California.
3. RECAPPING THE WEEK: The Badgers hosted Kansas in their home opener, which resulted in a 0-0 draw. The Badgers were prominent on the offense, outshooting their opponents 23-7. Wisconsin went on to clinch their first win of the season against UIC on Sunday. Freshman Ella Ottey scored the lone goal in the first half to bring the score to 1-0. UIC placed a single shot on the net but could not get past Erin McKinney.
With their performances on the pitch in the past week, Ottey and McKinney earned Big Ten Freshman and Goaltender of the Week. The team also started receiving votes in the latest USC Poll.
4. HOW TO FOLLOW: You can livestream the action through ACCN. Additionally - follow Wisconsin women's soccer on Twitter (@BadgerWSoccer) and Instagram (@badgerwsoccer).
5. UP NEXT: The Badgers will stay in North Carolina to face No. 4 Duke. The match begins at 11:00 a.m. (CST) on Aug. 27. It will be live-streamed on ACCN.
