As the Badgers (4-1-0 Big Ten, 10-1-0 overall) embarked on another Big Ten road trip this weekend, they were looking for a pair of momentum-building, conference wins. That’s exactly what they got.
Friday night, it was a dominant defensive performance against the Indiana Hoosiers. Wisconsin allowed only five shots all game, only one of which was on goal. That certainly made it easy on redshirt senior goalkeeper Genevieve Richard, whose defenders helped ward off eight Indiana corner kicks.
All it took for the Badgers was an 11th minute goal by junior midfielder Molly Laufenberg off of an assist from redshirt senior midfielder Kodee Williams from a cross. It was one of only nine shots by Wisconsin, five fewer than their season average.
That one was all they needed for their seventh shutout of the season and a nice road win to build some character.
The Badgers needed that character and toughness just two days later as they took on Purdue. The Boilermakers were 6-4-1 heading into the game, coming off two straight losses and desperate for a win.
The teams went back and forth, combining for 16 shots in the first half and 13 more in the second. Wisconsin’s Richard saved all five of the Boilermakers’ shots on goal, but the Badgers’ barrage of 17 shots, including five from Williams, were too much for Purdue.
After 65 minutes of back and forth play, sophomore midfielder Rose Lavelle sent in a corner kick that found her teammate junior midfielder McKenna Meuer for a header that found the back of the net.
“It may not have been the prettiest at times, but I thought we played better in the second half,” head coach Paula Wilkins said after the game. “They showed resilience defensively and it’s great to see effort on that side. Getting another shutout on the road is great.”
Two straight shutouts are always encouraging for this Badger team looking to make a postseason run. They may not have been the blowouts they put up earlier this season, but the wins put the Badgers at second in the Big Ten, behind only Penn State, who comes to Madison Sunday.
Before that game, Ohio State also comes to town Friday, the beginning of a 3-game home stretch. The string of games coming up will really be a barometer for the Wisconsin’s tournament hopes. Key wins against these tough conference opponents could really show just how far this team can go.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
