Badgers Hit the Road for Wildcats, Illini
September 24, 2004 | Women's Soccer
After two weeks at home, the University of Wisconsin's 25th-ranked women 's soccer team (6-1-1 overall, 0-1-1 Big Ten) is on the road for the next two, first taking on Northwestern at 4 p.m. Friday in Evanston, Ill., and No. 10 Illinois at 2 p.m. Sunday in Champaign, Ill.
On Friday, the Badgers encountered their first defeat of the season when they lost to then-No. 4 Penn State 4-0. Although UW did not score on Sunday, either, it also held then-No. 22 Ohio State scoreless in a 0-0 (2OT) tie.
'This past weekend didn't turn out the way we wanted,' head coach Dean Duerst said. 'We hope to turn that around and get more than just one point this upcoming weekend.'
Freshman goalkeeper Lynn Murray (Marietta, Ga.) picked up her first solo shutout of her career against the Buckeyes, while sophomore midfielder Kara Kabellis (Homer Glen, Ill.) paced the team in shots in both matches (three on Friday, four on Sunday).
Also having some trouble the last few days were the Wildcats (4-4-0, 0-2-0), who were beaten 3-2 by both then-No. 25 Michigan and Michigan State. Against the latter, NU found itself in a 3-0 deficit before climbing back to within one in the final 10 minutes of play. However, just like against Michigan, the 'Cats could not get the tying goal.
Northwestern has received most of its offense from forward Kelsey Hans, who has eight goals and one assist for a team-high 17 points. The freshman notched three goals over the weekend.
'Northwestern is a good team and they're well-coached,' Duerst said, noting that NU head coach Jenny Haigh is a former player of his. 'They can be dangerous on set plays.'
The Illini (7-2) split their weekend, topping the Spartans 1-0 in overtime but dropping a 1-0 decision to the Wolverines. The loss to the Wolverines snapped a seven-match winning streak for Illinois, which also was shut out for the first time since last season.
On Thursday, Illinois was beaten 1-0 by Illinois State in Bloomington, Ill., for its second straight loss.
Forwards Taylor Hurless and Jessica Bayne lead the team with four goals apiece. Goalkeeper Leisha Alcia has a 0.26 GAA and four shutouts this year.
'Illinois is a tough opponent,' Duerst said. 'This will be a challenging road trip for us.'
