The Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer team’s trip to the NCAA tournament ended on Sunday, Nov. 24 with a 3-1 loss to No. 1 seed University of Southern California in the third round.
Sunday's game marked the Badgers’ first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2021, but even a late goal from graduate student midfielder Dara Adringa couldn’t help them overcome a three-goal deficit to USC.
Wisconsin’s first sign of trouble came in the last five minutes of the first half, where the Trojans were given a penalty kick that led to a goal. Fouls proved to be an issue for the Badgers as they wracked up 15 throughout the game.
In the first half, Wisconsin out-fouled USC 8-1 and had zero shots on goal. This was a familiar feeling for the team, who went with no shots on goal in the first half of their matchup against No. 4 University of Virginia in the second round of the tournament. If the Badgers keptUSC out of the goalbox, they could’ve pulled off a similar victory to the one against Virginia in a penalty shootout.
But once the second half started, USC’s intense offense and scoring, something that they’ve come to be known for, pressed down on the Badgers in full force. The Trojans’ second goal came in the 58th minute with the third coming less than five minutes later. That, coupled with the penalty kick goal from the first half, proved insurmountable for a Badgers team that had three shots on goal the entire game.
Wisconsin's season ends with a 10-6-5 overall record and a 5-1-3 record in the Big Ten. In tournament play, Ohio State knocked the Badgers out of the Big Ten Tournament 0-1 and USC defeated them in the Sweet 16.
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.
