UW Hits to Road to Face Indiana, Purdue
October 12, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Wisconsin (6-4-3, 3-2-1 Big Ten) hits the road to begin a four-game road trip this weekend. Up first is Indiana, who sits atop the Big Ten standings. The Badgers will face the 16th-ranked Hoosiers at 6 p.m. (central time) Friday. UW will then play against Purdue at noon Sunday.
The Badgers are coming off a historic weekend, one in which they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the program and also were able to tie Michigan (1-1) and defeat Michigan State (3-0). The win against the Spartans was head coach Dean Duerst's 150th career victory.
Wisconsin is looking to come away with wins this weekend against two teams ranked higher than the Badgers in the latest NSCAA Great Lakes regional rankings. Indiana currently is in the No. 2 spot with Purdue ranked fifth. UW sits at No. 10.
Indiana (8-2-4, 4-0-1) has yet to lose in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers are somewhat familiar to the Badgers this season. IU played in the Wisconsin Invitational to open the season and dropped both its matches. Since then, Indiana has not been beaten. The Hoosiers have won or tied their last 12 games.
The Hoosiers also are tops in the Big Ten with a 0.54 goals against average, allowing a conference-low eight goals in 14 matches.
'It's our turn to beat them,' Dean Duerst, Wisconsin head coach, said about playing the Hoosiers. 'Our focus right now though is really who we are. We are really starting to understand how to play together and the things that we need to do to be successful. It will be a great match-up. Our players are very confident and this is a great opportunity for our team.'
Much like the Badgers, Indiana has had several people score this year. Nine different players have tallied goals, led by Carrie DeFreece's four scores. In the net, Stacey Van Boxmeer has 39 saves and six shutouts.
Purdue, meanwhile, is tied for sixth in the conference with a 3-3-0 record and a 10-4-2 mark overall. The Boilers are first among Big Ten teams in shots, averaging 18.2 shots per game. Purdue also is tough on the defensive end. The team has posted 10 shutouts this season.
'Purdue is an athletic team that likes to spread you out,' Duerst said. 'But it is the same storyline. All of these (Big Ten) teams are close. We have to be smart and be a better defensive team. You win these games on great defending. Our players are confident they can score.'
Junior Parissa Eyorokon leads Purdue with six goals on the year. She also has three helpers for a team-high 15 points. Jessica Okoroafo, the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, is second on the squad with four scores and 11 points. In the net, Lauren Mason has 0.68 goals against average and 52 saves on the year.
'We know how close this conference is,' Duerst said. 'Our players are confident that we can beat anyone in the Big Ten. They are looking forward to the weekend.'
