After battling UW-Milwaukee this past Sunday, the UW-Madison women’s soccer team is now sitting on its first shutout of the season. With another match right around the corner, the Badgers, now holding a 5-1-1 record, welcome UW Green Bay to the McClimon Soccer Complex this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Their win against in-state rival, Milwaukee, has set the tone for this week: Win Wisconsin.

Sunday’s game showed the tight defense that the team has focused on, only allowing Milwaukee one shot for the entirety of the game. Meanwhile, the Badgers had a total of 17 shots, eight of them being on goal.

“We were looking to be a little bit cleaner in our possession and our attack end,” head coach Paula Wilkins said. “It got a little messy in the end, but the biggest excitement was that we were able to get a shutout.”

It was just what the team needed to move forward as it prepares to face UW Green Bay.

Redshirt junior Kodee Williams, who scored the first goal Sunday against Milwaukee, was pleased with the team’s overall performance.

“Looking ahead to our game on Wednesday, we just wanted to build on what we had this past game and in our previous games,” Williams said. “I think we have stepped it up a lot from our Vanderbilt game.”

After Sunday’s game, freshman Rose Lavelle earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Lavelle has started in all seven games this season. She assisted on two of the three goals scored in the win against Milwaukee on Sunday. Lavelle is currently third in total points (12) and is tied for second with sophomore Kinley McNicoll in goals (3).

With another home game right around the corner, the Badgers prepare to take on UW-Green Bay. Although the Green Bay Phoenixes are not as big of a rival as the Milwaukee Panthers, the possibility of sweeping the state is motivation enough.

“We got two wins against Marquette and now against Milwaukee,” Lavelle said. “Now we want to win Wisconsin and beat Green Bay as well.”

In her six seasons with the Badgers, Wilkins has yet to steal all three wins over their in-state Division I rivals. Wisconsin took a step in the right direction after defeating Milwaukee, but it all comes down to tomorrow’s match against UW-Green Bay.

With three wins, two loses and three ties, the Phoenixes have not been as consistent as the Badgers this season. Even so, Williams and the rest of the team are still looking at this like any other game.

“We have to respect every opponent,” Williams said. “It’s just another game that we know we are going to have to fight hard in. We know that we have to keep playing hard until the game is done.”