Sports

Badgers shut out Illini at McClimon

Led by goals from Sarah Capel and Molly Meuer, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team defeated the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies by a score of 2-0 Saturday at the McClimon Sports Complex.

The Badgers’ victory extends the dominance they’ve enjoyed against NIU, giving them a 7-0 lifetime record against the Huskies. The win also caps off a strong 7-0 run to finish out the season for the Badgers, and gives the ladies a perfect 10-0 non-conference record.

“We wanted to put a stamp on the end of the regular season, and I think we did it,” head coach Dean Duerst said. “And it was a special day for the seniors; we rewarded them with a start, and they were all good.”

For senior day festivities the ladies held a brief ceremony for seniors during halftime. Seniors Sarah Capel, Molly Meuer, Marla Froelich and Katrina Ziaja all received honors during the final regular season home game of their careers.

In fitting fashion, it was the seniors that would dominate the day for the Badgers. Capel started off the scoring with what would eventually become the game winner at the 9:06 mark when she recovered a blocked shot off the foot of junior striker Amy Vermeulen and tapped the ball into the net; Vermeulen was credited with the assist. The goal was Capel’s seventh in her career and the first of the season.

“I was so excited,” Capel said. “And there was nobody around me to celebrate with so I was just looking around for somebody, but it was really excited.”

The Badgers added an insurance goal 30:50 into the game when sophomore Kara Kabellis took a corner kick from junior Katy Lindenmuth and headed the ball to senior Molly Meuer who found the back of the net for the ladies’ second goal of the game and Meuer’s fourth of the season.

Despite an aggressive offensive presence, which had the Badgers out-shooting the Huskies 25-7, the Badger offense couldn’t produce any more goals.

“We had some really clear opportunities to score and I don’t think we created enough dangerous situations like we have in the past,” Duerst said. “At times in the first half, we were just opening them up, and that was a good sign.”

But two goals were more than enough for the Badgers. The Huskies managed only three shots on goal during the game and managed only one serious threat on a cross that snuck past the Wisconsin defense. Badger goalkeepers Lynn Murray and Stefani Szczechowski combined for three saves in 90 minutes of scoreless play for the Badgers.

“The beautiful thing about our team is they are consistent and confident,” Duerst said. “Any time you are headed on a championship run you have to be confident and ready to go to war.”

The sixth-seeded Badgers head to Columbus, Ohio, this week, where the Big Ten Tournament starts Thursday. The Badgers face the Michigan Wolverines at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Thursday, with game time set for 6:30 CST.