The Badgers will once again go on the road this Saturday, taking on Maryland, following an exciting two-game homestand in which Wisconsin continued its winning streak.
Wisconsin (7-1-1 Big Ten, 10-4-3 overall) currently tops the Big Ten standings in what has until recently been a conference dead heat. Penn State (6-2-1, 11-3-2), the only Big Ten team the Badgers have lost to so far, is locked in second place with Minnesota (6-2-1, 11-3-3), while Rutgers (5-2-2, 12-2-2) currently sits in third.
Maryland (1-7-1, 6-10-1), by contrast, has been struggling in conference this season. The Terrapins started off the season finding success, winning four out of their first six games, two of which were on the road.
However, the Terrapins have lost seven of their nine Big Ten games, only scraping a draw against Indiana, who the Badgers beat 3-0, and finally a win against Michigan State, who the Badgers beat 1-0 thanks to a thrilling goal that came at the end of the match.
Statistically, Maryland averages a goal per game, while Wisconsin averages 1.4. Wisconsin also outshoots Maryland, with 15.5 shots to Maryland’s 11.5 per game.
After the dramatic win over Michigan State Sunday, UW head coach Paula Wilkins emphasized that all she wanted for her team leading up to the Maryland game was for everybody to get healthy, citing that her players were a little “banged up.”
When asked about the morale of her team at a press conference Monday, Wilkins said her players are building confidence. However, Maryland is not an opponent that the Badgers will be taking lightly.
“They haven’t lost any game in the Big Ten by more than one goal, and they have been in four games of overtime in the Big Ten,” Wilkins said. “They’re organized, and they have the ability to score on you, so we’re going to have to be great.”
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
