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Following a huge victory over Michigan State, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team takes its three-game winning streak on the road this weekend to face No. 25 Minnesota and Iowa.

After defeating the Big Ten’s third-ranked team last Sunday, the schedule doesn’t get much easier for the Badgers (9-6-1, 3-4-0 in the Big Ten) as they hit the road for the last time this season.

Minnesota (15-2-0, 5-2-0) boasts the conference’s best defense, having allowed only six goals on the year for an average of just 0.35 goals against per game. In contrast, the Badger defense has allowed 19 goals in 16 games for an average of 1.19 goals against.

“We need to get numbers forward, and we need to put them under some pressure,” head coach Paula Wilkins said. “I think we need to match their competitive spirit.”

The Gophers’ stifling defense has helped them in outshooting opponents 340-126 this season. Additionally, they have drawn nearly four times as many corner kicks as their opponents, by a count of 121-33.

In preparation for the weekend, the Badgers focused on their transitional play, something that has hurt them on the road this season.

“We’re just trying to get better every day with little things,” Wilkins said. “We’re talking a lot about transition [and] making sure we’re prepared for a physical confrontation on Friday against Minnesota, and we want to stay organized as much as we can.”

In addition to a strong defense, the Gophers have gotten goals from all but six players on their roster this season, a stark contrast to the offense the Badgers faced last Sunday against the Spartans.

Leading the way for Minnesota are senior Lindsey Schwartz and sophomore Molly Rouse. Schwartz and Rouse lead the team with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

In order to deal with the Gophers’ offensive distribution, the Badgers will need to stay organized in the back and the midfield to deal with their pressure, according to Wilkins.

“I think that’s always tougher because you don’t know where it’s going to come from,” Wilkins said. “It will be a different challenge than Michigan State because their offense was focused on two of their front players; [Minnesota] is going to come from all different directions, so that means everyone needs to be good.”

Despite the differences in their styles of play, Wisconsin still hopes to use the shutout of Michigan State to build confidence in its ability going in to the match with Minnesota.

“They’re both among the best teams in the nation. We know that since we beat Michigan State, we can beat anybody in the Big Ten,” freshman Laurie Nosbusch said. “I think there’s a lot of parity amongst the teams, and I think any game is going to be a good game.”

Wisconsin’s second game on the weekend features a trip to Iowa City, a place where the Badgers hope to return in two weeks for the Big Ten Tournament.

“Hopefully we can get a win there and come back again and see them in the tournament,” Nosbusch said.

Iowa is led by sophomore Keli McLaughlin and freshman Alyssa Cosnek with 17 and 14 points, respectively, and a combined 13 goals.

The Hawkeyes will be giving everything they’ve got against the Badgers as they currently sit in ninth place with seven points — two shy of a tournament berth. With Wisconsin looming in a three-way tie for sixth with nine points, an Iowa win could go a long way toward earning a spot in the tournament.

Wisconsin has a lot to play for this weekend as well — they sit just three points behind Ohio State for fifth place. A Badger victory over the Hawkeyes would keep Iowa on the outside looking in and all but assure a tournament berth for Wisconsin.

“This weekend is going to be huge for us,” Nosbusch said. “If we can get two wins this weekend, that will help us considerably to get into the Big Ten tournament.”