The UW women's soccer team (5-4-1 Big Ten, 13-4-1 overall) is heading into the end of the season armed with endless offensive threats and a number of hefty conference wins. This sort of depth and momentum will be a huge factor in their last few matchups and in postseason play.
The Badgers have won their past five games, and they have done this mainly through the persistent offense seen in Sunday's 5-1 win over UW-Green Bay (1-3-2, 3-10-3).
Junior midfielder/forward Katy Lindenmuth scored twice and is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week due to her past two performances. The team's most effective player in producing goals has been junior midfielder/forward Amy Vermeulen, who provided two assists against Green Bay and leads the team with 11 goals.
Vermeulen has been able to coordinate individual strengths by creating offensive set-ups through her constant control of the ball, and Head Coach Dean Duerst said, \We play through her in our system.""
However, the powerful players directing the team have not preserved the Badgers' string of success alone. Those in supporting roles have recently developed their game, and this has reconstructed the roster into a collection of individual threats. Junior midfielder/forward Marisa Brown exemplifies this new set of capable players, with big goals against Michigan and UW-Milwaukee.
Dean Duerst believes that these improvements have allowed the players to synchronize their efforts and play their best soccer by ""getting goals in different ways."" The team has taken advantage of key moments by consistently threading the ball to the end line, and by fully embracing corner kicks and multiple shots.
Defensively, Duerst has encouraged strategic breakdowns throughout the season in order to apply pressure and force turnovers. These relentless tactics have enabled the Badgers to focus on maintaining their typical early leads and finding new ways to score. Plus, the team's success and stability is rooted in a relatively young group of players. Sophomore forward/midfielder Allison Preiss has six goals, and freshman goalkeeper Lynn Murray obtained her fourth shutout in the Milwaukee game.
It is also worthwhile to recognize the depth and intensity of the Big Ten, including No. 3 Penn State. Conference matchups are tough for the Badgers, such as the win against Michigan, but the team knows that these games prepare them for the postseason.
For now, though, Duerst and the players are excited to face Marquette on Wednesday, and they anticipate a close matchup that is more important to them than most may realize.
""In our own minds, we sort of turn it into a state-championship game,"" Duerst said, referring to the in-state non-conference games. He plans on finishing the regular season with more ""barrier-breaking"" and a focus on further improvements.
""To be able to get 13 [wins] with still two games left, this group knows they're not done yet,"" he said.
