[media-credit name=’GREG DIXON/Herald file photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]
The Wisconsin women’s soccer team earned its first Big Ten victory Friday in a 1-0 shutout of Indiana at the McClimon Soccer Complex.
Wisconsin (7-6-1, 1-4-0 Big Ten) played its best game in conference play to hand Indiana (5-9-0, 0-5-0) its fifth straight 1-0 loss in the Big Ten.
“[It feels] good, especially to do it on the home field in front of the home crowd,” head coach Paula Wilkins said. “I think we needed a little interjection of some energy.”
With just 1:20 left to play, senior Taylor Walsh scored the game-winning goal for the Badgers off an assist from freshman Laurie Nosbusch.
Nosbusch had her initial attempt blocked by the Hoosier defense, but Walsh was there on the rebound to put the ball past Indiana goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell and into the back of the net.
“[The goal] was a huge relief actually,” Walsh said. “It was a really emotional game for a lot of reasons, so it was really exciting. There was really good build up, so that made it even better.”
Wisconsin started slow again offensively but didn’t allow Indiana to take an early lead despite being outshot 5-2 in the first half. In the second half, the Badgers took control, putting up 15 shots to just one for the Hoosiers, making it tough for Campbell and the IU defense.
“I thought she did a great job,” Wilkins said of Campbell. “She had good positioning because we shot a lot of balls straight at her. I thought she did a good job with that and kept them in the game.”
The Wisconsin offense really turned it up in the last 20 minutes, creating multiple chances and finally capitalizing with Walsh’s goal.
“We got some confidence; I think some people stepped up in key roles,” Wilkins said. “I think our two center backs did a great job. We got some good work from the flanks from Ashley Hedges, and right up front, Laurie is a workhorse, and I think she did a great job.”
Senior goalkeeper Jamie Klages needed just one save to earn her fourth shutout of the season, all of which have come at home. Klages was aided by a defensive effort that showed much improvement from its first four conference games.
“I think their shape was unbelievable,” Klages said. “There was great leadership out of the back, really from all four of them. They did an amazing job today.”
One of the things the Badgers had been working on all week was maintaining better possession of the ball. Friday night, the team excelled in this area, especially as the game went on.
“We did a better job of not giving the ball up, especially in the second half,” Wilkins said. “I think that’s what gave us the ability to be more effective and create some chances.”
Friday’s result moves Wisconsin into a tie with Northwestern for eighth in the conference, while Indiana remains alone in last place as the only team yet to record a win or tie.
The win comes at a great time for the Badgers as the Big Ten season reaches its halfway point. With just one win, they have moved themselves into a strong position in terms of qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament.
“[The win] keeps us in the running for going to the Big Ten Tournament,” Walsh said. “It was definitely a must-win tonight, so it was really good that we got that.”
Wisconsin showcased its depth against Indiana with six players seeing time off the bench and four of them playing 20 minutes or more. This allowed the Badgers to rest Walsh, who is still dealing with the effects of her knee injury, for an extended period in each half.
Despite playing only 47 minutes, Walsh made a big impact, putting up three shots, including her game-winning goal in the 89th minute.
“Taylor is an incredible player; she has a huge impact on the freshmen [and] really anybody on the team,” Klages said. “She can only go for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, but when she is in there, she’s always working hard. Any time we can have her on the field, it’s definitely a plus for us.”
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Wisconsin bench erupted with joy and rushed onto the field to celebrate its first Big Ten victory of the season.
“It feels awesome, especially [to win] such a close game,” Klages said. “To get it in the last two minutes — I always say we’ve got to play 90 minutes, and that was 90-minute game.”