The Wisconsin women's soccer team moved on to the second round of the NCAA tournament after beating the University of Maine 3-1 on Friday at McClimon Soccer Complex.
The Badgers began the game with an astonishing two goals in the first four minutes. Senior forward Aryssa Marht scored the game’s first goal in the first minute of play, and two minutes later, she assisted in the game’s second goal scored by senior midfielder Ashley Martinez. Marht also assisted in the Badgers’ third goal in the second half, bringing her game total to one goal and two assists.
The surprise multiple-goal start set the tone for a first half that the Badgers dominated. It seemed almost all play during the first half occurred on Maine’s half of the field as the Black Bears struggled to make any move toward the Badgers’ goal. By the end of the first half, Wisconsin was 2-0 with nine shots and successfully prevented Maine from rendering any shots.
But the Black Bears came back with a vengeance in the second half, rendering three shots, all of which were on goal. Maine’s only goal came in the first minute of the second half and hit the upper right of the goal. After a quiet first half, Wisconsin goalkeeper Drew Stover tallied two saves and allowed one goal in the second half.
Around 10 minutes after Maine’s goal, a corner kick for the Badgers almost resulted in a goal for senior Aiden McConnell, but Maine’s goalkeeper, who had nine saves total, saved it from going in. A minute after the save on McConnell, Erin Connolly notched a goal in the top center of the net off of an assist by Marht.
Overall, the Badgers totaled 13 shots for the whole game, 12 of which were on goal. Mahrt had the most shots in the game with four, followed by Connolly with two, both of whom scored goals for the team.
The Badgers will face fourth-seed University of Virginia in the second round of the tournament. A higher ranking means that the Badgers will travel to Virginia for the game, and no matter if they move forward or not, their match against Maine was their last at the McClimon Soccer Complex for this season.
The Badgers play Virginia on Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. CST in Irvine, California.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
