The University of Wisconsin women’s soccer team (10-4-2, 4-3-2 Big Ten) was unable to put up any points Sunday against conference rival Northwestern (8-6-2, 5-3-1 Big Ten).

In what was a quiet contest for the first 37 minutes of play, Northwestern surged before half to score two goals.  Unfortunately for the Badgers, they were unable to match this offensive output in the remaining minutes.

Wisconsin women’s soccer fights the Illini, walks away with a 1-0 victory

Mckenna Agnotti scored the first of the two goals for the Wildcats on a strong shot from the left side of the field, assisted by both Brenna Lovera and Kim Jerantowski.  The latter was finished less than three minutes later by Marisa Viggiano on a free kick put-in.

Wisconsin was able to stay competitive in the shot count with their opponents, attempting five shots on goal to Northwestern’s six.  However, the execution just was simply absent on both sides of the field for the Badgers.

Goalkeeper Caitlyn Clem was unable to match her cousin Lauren’s performance in the game. Caitlyn’s .667 save percentage on the day was below her average and gave the Badgers little chance with the stagnant offense they displayed Sunday.

On the other hand, Lauren Clem of Northwestern made all five of her saves, leaving a goose egg in the Badger’s box score. Lauren appears to be hitting her stride for the Wildcats, notching her second straight shutout in the home win.

While the Badgers once again went with a three forward rotation, it was ultimately unsuccessful.  Lauren Rice and Cameron Murtha were the only strikers to have shots on goal, with two and one respectively.

Looking forward, the Badgers hopes for the Big Ten tournament appear to be darkening.  This loss gives Northwestern a lead in the conference standings, where Wisconsin places sixth. However, the Badgers’ seed could fall to eighth within the next game, as only one point separates them from Purdue and Nebraska.

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Unfortunately for the Wisconsin women, their final road stand seems to be leaving them with more questions than answers. Will the Badgers generate enough offense to compete in tournament games?  Can Caitlyn Clem consistently keep this team in low scoring games?

The Badgers will look to answer these questions as they move on to Iowa on Saturday before returning to Madison to play their final home game on Oct. 25.