The Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer team returns home this weekend from a tough California road trip in which they faced No. 2 Stanford University (5-0-0) and No. 22 Santa Clara University (2-2-2). The Badgers did not come back completely empty handed.
Following a 2-1 loss to Stanford, Wisconsin managed to tie Santa Clara 1-1 to sit at a 1-2-3 record, currently.
Now the Badgers will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (2-3-1) on Friday in search of their first home win as non-conference play winds down. South Dakota State comes to Madison following a 2-1 loss to Creighton University.
This matchup will feature two teams with stellar defenses and struggling offenses. Both the Jackrabbits and the Badgers surrender an average of less than one goal per game. But on the offensive side, South Dakota State averages one goal per game while the Badgers average less than one.
Wisconsin’s schedule has not been favorable thus far, and can account for its deflated record. In just six games of this young season, the Badgers faced teams ranked 22, 13 and two. In those games, opponents outscored Wisconsin 4-2 while in their other three games against unranked opponents, the Badgers outscored them 2-1.
But those low scoring totals are from a lack of capitalization. The Badgers outshoot their opponents 88-52 and their shots on goal compared to the teams they face sits at 35-27. The only team with more shots on goal against Wisconsin was No. 2 Stanford.
Senior midfielder, Micaela Powers leads the team in goals with two, while freshman forward Dani Rhodes and sophomore forward Emily Borgmann have one each. Senior midfielder, Rose Lavelle, has yet to score a goal this season.
South Dakota State offers a little more variety than the Badgers, with five different players each recording a goal. Senior midfielder Madison Yueill leads the team with two. On the defensive side, senior goalkeeper Nicole Inskeep has a .643 save percentage.
Scoring first could be key to a Wisconsin victory as the Badgers suffer an 0-2-2 record when they do not. That early support could be enough, since redshirt junior goalkeeper Caitlyn Clem possesses a .815 save percentage along with 22 saves and two shutouts.
The game kicks off at 5 p.m. at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex and will air on BTN PLUS.
