Wednesday night in Bloomington, Ind., the Wisconsin women’s soccer team (5-6-1 Big Ten, 12-7-1 overall) lost to Michigan (8-2-2 Big Ten, 14-4-4 overall) 2-0 in a Big Ten tournament first-round matchup.
After 55 minutes of equal play, the Wolverines struck first. Despite two straight Badger defensive stands on corner kicks, Michigan junior defender Holly Hein found the back of the net on the Wolverines’ third attempt.
The Badgers had opportunities throughout the second half but could notconvert.
Beginning the second half, Wisconsin made the decision to add more offensive pressure at the expense of defense. This proved to be unsuccessful.
After various failed attempts by UW, the Michigan offense converted once again in the 75th minute when junior midfielder Meghan Toohey found her go-to junior forward Nkem Ezurike in the middle of the field. Wisconsin senior goalkeeper Lauren Gunderson attempted to clear the ball but instead played it back to Ezurike, who tapped it in the goal from 27 feet out. This would mark the 12th goal of the season for Ezurike, a Big Ten first-team selection.
The Badgers and Wolverines had very similar game statistics except in the area of corner kicks. Michigan had eight, while the Badgers only had three. These set pieces proved to be damaging for Wisconsin.
Although the Badgers have been eliminated from the Big Ten tournament, their season may not yet be over. Wisconsin is ranked No. 36 in the country, and 64 teams make the NCAA tournament. However, there are 24 automatic bids from various tournaments. The Badgers show an overall impressive résumé and should have a good case for their spot in the tourney. For now, it is a waiting game for Wisconsin, as the selection committee will reveal the bracket Monday, Nov. 5.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
