The Wisconsin women's soccer team finished off the Big Ten season and earned a spot in the Big Ten Tournament over the weekend with a pair of victories at the McClimon Sports Complex. The Badgers squeaked out a 1-0 win Friday against the Michigan State Spartans and defeated the Michigan Wolverines 3-1 Sunday, bringing their record to 11-4-1 overall and 5-4-1 in the Big Ten. This marks the first time since 2000 the ladies squad has finished the Big Ten season with a winning record.

The Badgers opened the weekend set Friday when they hosted the visiting Spartans. With temperatures dropping into the mid-30's and a light drizzle present for most of the night, the game quickly became a defensive struggle on both sides.

Badger goaltender Lynn Murray set the defensive tone early. With only 7:54 gone by in the game, the Spartan offense sent in a hard shot from inside the 18-yard box. Murray, with her body parallel to the ground, dove to her right just in time to keep the Spartan shot out of the net. Murray finished the game with six saves.

"We had a great defensive effort tonight, and Lynn Murray was special today," said Duerst. "That was another big, big shutout for us."

Several minutes later, the ladies appeared to take control of the game as forward Allison Preiss took a pass from fellow forward Katy Lindenmuth and sent the ball past Michigan State goalkeeper Erin Carlson. However, Preiss was called offsides on the play, negating the goal.

"It's always painful because they are trying to get past that last restraining line, and they are trying to break through," said Duerst. "We've just got to be a little bit smarter in how we run."

After returning from half, stuck in an 0-0 tie, the Badgers quickly changed the game's atmosphere as midfielder Kara Kabellis put in a header off of a corner kick from Amy Vermuelen.

"I feel like I've been so close lately, it's just been really frustrating," said Kabellis. "It's nice to finally get one in."

Kabellis' goal would prove to be the end of the scoring for the game. With their Big Ten tournament hopes on the line, the Spartans failed to find the back of the net despite a heavy offensive push near the end of regulation. The victory earned the Badgers' guaranteed entrance into this year's Big Ten tournament.

"This game was like a tournament game; it really had that flavor to it," said head coach Dean Duerst. "They had their backs to the wall, and that desperation they had made it a difficult game for us."

With a spot in the Big Ten tournament secured, the Badgers hosted the 13th-ranked Michigan Wolverines Sunday. The Wolverines entered the game on a sour note after a 1-0 loss Thursday night to Oakland, in a non-conference matchup. Despite Michigan's success throughout the year, entering the game, players and coaches had an eerie feeling of confidence in their last Big Ten home match of the year.

"We could just tell this week," said junior forward Amy Vermeulen.

"I woke up and I just felt it was a great day," said Duerst. "It was a beautiful day, and sometimes you have those feelings about your team."

Despite the beliefs of coaches and players, the Badgers faced a difficult task in facing a vaunted Michigan defense, which had allowed only four goals during the Big Ten season. Michigan also had stellar goalkeeper Megan Turra, who was allowing less than a goal per game.

Yet the Badgers came out firing, and it was they who drew first blood. The Badgers' first goal came on a penalty kick from the leg of Amy Vermeulen 12:52 into the game.

"I was kind of mad; I was taken down. I knew where I was going with the ball," said Vermeulen. "But I just had to be calm with the ball and not worry where the goalie was going, and I got it in."

The Badgers quickly added a second goal at the 18:41 mark, as Marisa Brown took a pass from Vermeulen and chipped in her own rebound off the goalpost for the Badgers' second goal of the game. The quick scoring left the Badgers in a commanding position early in the game.

"That's always the plan to come out and score early," said Vermeulen. "It gives us a little high and it gives us some momentum. Once we scored that first one we knew we had to keep it going and we didn't let up once.

The Badgers added a third goal at the 64:24-mark, when Kara Kabellis scored her second goal of the weekend off of a free kick. The Wolverines answered three minutes later when Katelin Spencer, in the midst of a small scrum in front of the net, headed in a corner from teammate Laura Tanchon. But the goal was too little, as the Wolverines failed to get past goalkepper Lynn Murray for the remainder of the game.

"On my pad before the game, I wrote 3-0," said Duerst. "Maybe I do that for superstitious reasons, but I wanted 3-0, and our guys can light it up like that."

The win also was special for Wisconsin assistant coach Carrie Barker. Barker is in her first year with the Badgers after spending seven seasons as a part of the Wolverines staff.

"To win is amazing. It had that feeling of beating your best friend or your brother," said Barker.

The Badgers look to extend their winning streak when they travel to Engelmann Field to face the UW-Milwaukee Panthers this Thursday, Oct. 21, for a 3 p.m. match.