In another defensive effort at the McClimon Center Friday, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team (6-4-3, 3-1-1 Big Ten) notched their third straight victory, upsetting No. 11 Minnesota (9-2-2, 4-1-0 Big Ten) on a first half penalty goal from midfielder Kinley McNicoll.

The beginning of the match was dominated by defense on both ends, with the first shot from either team coming off the foot of Minnesota forward April Bockin in the 14th minute, a ball that sailed over the goalpost. Minnesota controlled the majority of possession in Wisconsin’s half, but the closest they came to scoring in opening 25 minutes came on a corner kick that was handled easily by Wisconsin’s Caitlyn Clem.

Wisconsin’s offensive struggles out the gate came at the hands of an alert Minnesota backline, as defenders Tori Burnett and Rashida Beal prevented attacking midfielder Rose Lavelle from getting a shot off on a series of deep passes into the box.

A free kick from midfielder Kinley McNicoll in the 33rd minute marked the first significant on-goal opportunity for Wisconsin, as the ball reached the box and deflected to the feet of Lavelle. The Gopher defense was quick to respond, however, and cleared the chance away before Lavelle could load a shot up. The possession sparked an offensive rally, however that would define the next five minutes of the half in favor of Wisconsin.

Soon after the missed chance, Lavelle was back on the charge, cutting through two Minnesota defenders with an unexpected flick pass on the left side of the box. Lavelle then found fellow midfielder Victoria Pickett making a run to the middle, connecting with her on a pass-and-shot that nailed the post to the dismay of the home crowd.

Pickett made another impressive run and had just one defender to beat in the 35th minute, when a battle for possession ensued at the top of the goal box. In a struggle to clear the ball, the defender Burnett brought Pickett to the ground for a penalty kick foul. McNicoll took the subsequent shot from the mark, firing a rocket into the right side of the net past the diving hands of Tarah Hobbs. The goal was McNicoll’s second of the season.

Pickett’s quick pace on the attack was praised by Wisconsin head coach Paula Wilkins, noting it as the key to breaking through Minnesota’s tough defense.

“Minnesota puts her under so much pressure, but her ability to get behind them in the last 10 minutes of that half really caused some problems,” Wilkins said.

Despite coming into the game on an offensive tear, Minnesota lacked a defining possession in the opening half and were limited to just two shots on goal. Wisconsin’s key accomplishment defensively was neutralizing Minnesota’s top scoring threat in Simone Kolander, who had come into the match on a six-game scoring streak. Kolander was pressed from the opening minute, which was a strategy going into the game according to Wilkins.

“The one thing that we talked about is that we wanted to make sure we got pressure on them right away,” Wilkins said. “In other games we’ve given them some time and space and we decided that we wanted to really eliminate that.”

The Badgers carried their late first half momentum into the second with a dominating stretch in the attacking third for the opening 10 minutes. Highlighting the offensive push was a shot from substitute Micaela Powers, a bending ball into the upper right corner that required a leaping save from Hobbs to keep the game at 1-0 going into the final 35 minutes of regulation.

Neither team had much success generating offensive chances over the next 20 minutes as the Badgers still held a 1-0 lead going into the final five minutes

A collision in the Minnesota goal box suspended play in the 78th minute when Powers appeared to sustain a head injury, requiring an on-field visit from the athletic training staff. Powers walked off the field under her own power, but the incident ended her day on the pitch.

In the closing minutes, Minnesota found some offensive momentum and were able to maintain possession in the attacking third with a series of corners, but a turnover by the Gopher offense in the 88th minute kept the ball in Minnesota’s half for the rest of the match.

The win marks the second consecutive 1-0 win and third straight victory overall for Wisconsin. In the process, Clem extended her shutout streak to four games.

The Badgers will play their next match on the road against Iowa on Oct. 8.