The Wisconsin women’s soccer team capped off a successful return to the McClimon Center this weekend with a 1-0 victory over their Big Ten rival Purdue (6-5-0) on Sunday, bringing their record back over .500 on the season (5-4-3).

Purdue commanded the opening minutes and tested Badger keeper Caitlyn Clem early and often with a barrage of close-range crosses and headers on-goal. The greatest threat during their stretch of possession came surprisingly on a free kick from 25 yards out, when Purdue defender Vanessa Korolas managed a shot past Clem that skimmed the left post.

Wisconsin’s offense was slightly out of sync to start the contest, partially because Purdue’s defense had successfully shut down star midfielder Rose Lavelle from making long runs down the field and opening up attacking options.

Wisconsin’s first significant scoring threat came when midfielder Kinley McNicoll fired a shot from 30 yards out, catching the Purdue defense on their heels. The ball sailed just over the post, however, skimming the top of the outside netting to keep the match scoreless going into the 18th minute.

The Badgers finally got the scoring underway in the 32nd minute when McNicoll took a free kick from the left side near the Purdue box. The ball curved through the Boilermaker defense and found the head of midfielder McKenna Meuer, who promptly knocked it into the net in upper-90 fashion. The goal was Meuer’s team-leading fifth of the season.

The versatility of the midfield has been a key factor in the Wisconsin offense all season, and head coach Paula Wilkins believes the break from traveling played an integral role in getting the offense back on track as a whole.

“I think it’s nice that we’ve been able to get healthier and a little bet more recovered physically,” Wilkins said. “We’re trying to get our kids back to where we were at the beginning of the season.”

Lavelle nearly sent the home crowd into a frenzy just two minutes afterwards with a bicycle-kick goal opportunity in the box. Purdue keeper Erika Yohn had a good read on the shot, however, and quickly snagged the low-speed attempt to keep the deficit at one going into the second half.

The first significant scoring opportunity for either team in the second half came for Wisconsin in the 59th minute, when the Badgers found themselves in a 2-on-1 scenario with freshman midfielder Victoria Pickett and Lavelle on the attack. Pickett received a cross into the middle of the box, and promptly flicked in backwards to a waiting Lavelle, who fired an open-goal shot just high off the post to hold the Badger lead at 1-0 going into the final 30 minutes.

After nearly 50 straight minutes of lackluster play, the Purdue offense nearly stunned the Badgers with their best possession of the half in the 70th minute. A jumping kick save from Clem kept out what initially looked like a guaranteed goal from Purdue forward Maddy Williams, who made a perfect run through the defense to catch nearly every Badger, aside from Clem, out of position.

The closing minutes of the match consisted mostly of a battle for possession, primarily at midfield, as neither offense could successfully sustain an offensive possession without committing a turnover. Purdue’s closest opportunity for a late equalizer came on a series of forced corner kicks, but none of the attempts amounted to a threat as Clem reeled in each kick.

As the final whistle blew, Wilkins turned around to the home crowd and gave an emphatic sigh of relief. While a far cry from their comfortable 3-0 victory over Indiana to start the weekend, Wilkins was pleased at her team’s ability to stay poised during the hectic final minutes of play.

“We didn’t make it easy for ourselves, but it’s something we can build on,” Wilkins said. “It’s a great relief to get two wins at home right now when the Big Ten is so tight.”

The Badgers continue their home stand next Friday, Oct. 2, when they host a red-hot No. 18 Minnesota squad (9-2-1), which is currently on a six-game winning streak.