After playing eight of their first 10 games on the road, the young and talented Wisconsin women’s soccer team returns home this weekend to take on Big Ten contenders Penn State and Ohio State.

The Badgers earned two shutouts last week, blanking both Michigan and Michigan State on the road to improve their season record to 7-1-2. With an impressive 6-0-2 road record and a little more than half the season under their belt, head coach Paula Wilkins said at a press conference Monday she was looking forward to returning to Madison to play this weekend’s games.

In a rebuilding year, Wilkins said the young team is displaying leadership even without a designated captain.

“I think the biggest thing is their cohesiveness,” Wilkins said when asked about the fearlessness and success of the team. “They hold each other accountable; they like each other.”

Many of the players have also been stepping up on the field, including numerous underclassmen. Wilkins said freshman attacker Rose Lavelle has “caused some havoc” on the field, specifically in the Michigan game where the Wolverines had her man-marked.

Likewise, freshman defenseman Kylie Schwarz was awarded “Player of the Week,” an award that typically goes to a goal scorer or goalkeeper rather than a field player in the defensive back four positions.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Genevieve Richard has also been contributing to her team’s success in major ways during her first year as a full-time starter, most recently by winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award Monday.

“Gen brings a level of professionalism that is great,” Wilkins said. “The biggest thing most people won’t see is she’s made big saves in big games to keep us in it.”

Badgers prepare for Big Ten play at home

This weekend, Wilkins and her team prepare to host Penn State (9-1-1, 3-0-0 Big Ten) and Ohio State (7-2-2, 1-1-1 Big Ten), both critical games for the Badgers. Penn State is currently tied for first place in the Big Ten conference and the Badgers sit only two points behind.

Although Wilkins is in the midst of her seventh season with the Wisconsin women’s soccer program, each time Wilkins and the Badgers face off against Penn State, it seems as if they’re playing for a little more.

Wilkins was the head coach at Penn State for six years, leading the team to a Big Ten title all six seasons, along with capturing two conference Big Ten tournament titles and College Cup appearances. When she left Penn State to take over Wisconsin’s program, she finished with a spectacular 119-19-11 record. Now, she aims to take down the program she once helped construct.

While the focus can easily be placed on Wilkins and her previous experiences with Penn State, she made it clear that the novelty of facing her former team has wore off.

“The players are all gone that I had, but I think there’s always some interest of myself because of having helped build that program and their success,” Wilkins said. “One of my biggest challenges when I came here was I wanted to be the team that knocks them off that pedestal, and I think we’re getting closer and closer to that. It’s going to take some effort and some major focus.”

Wilkins and Wisconsin look to do just that Friday evening when they take on their conference rivals. On Sunday, Ohio State will also prove to be a challenge for the Badgers, as the Buckeyes sit three points behind UW in the Big Ten.

Equipped with a young team bursting at the seams with talent and poise, Wilkins ranks the current Wisconsin team “fairly high” when asked where they fall in the history of teams she’s coached.

“I don’t want to put pressure on them because they’re still fairly young,” Wilkins said. “They’re high up but I think their best is still yet to come, which is very exciting. I think the youth of these guys is just going to make them better and better each game.”