UW Closes Out Regular Season at Northwestern
November 01, 2007 | Women's Soccer
The Wisconsin women's soccer team will play its final Big Ten Conference regular-season match on the road this Friday at Northwestern. The Badgers will go head-to-head with the Wildcats at 7 p.m. in Evanston, Ill. If Wisconsin defeats Northwestern, it still has a chance at qualifying for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis on Nov. 8-11.
Last weekend at the McClimon Soccer Complex, the Badgers downed Iowa 2-0 on Friday, then fell to border rival Minnesota 1-0 on Sunday.
On Friday, sophomore Krista Liskevych (Encinitas, Calif.) notched her first goal, and game-winning goal, of the 2007 season when she headed the ball into the back of the net. An assist was credited to senior Marissa Sarkesian (Canton, Mich.) on the goal. In the second half, Tricia Krombach (Appleton, Wis.) netted her fourth goal as a Badger. The goal was assisted by Katy Meuer (Madison, Wis.) and Shannon Terry (Long Lake, Minn.).
Netminder Jamie Klages (Coronado, Calif.) improved to 6-8-1 this season, adding her sixth shutout as a Badger on Friday. The junior owns a goals-against average of 1.29 and a save percentage of .741. Klages now sits in ninth place in goalkeeping records for season shutouts with Holly Pierson (1993), Kelly Conway (1999), and Kelly Conway (2002).
Sunday was also 'Senior Day' at the McClimon Soccer Complex where six Badgers played their final game at home. Ann Eshun (Madison, Wis.), Katy Meuer, Lynn Murray (Marietta, Ga.), Lauren Rudzinski (Green Bay, Wis.), Marissa Sarkesian and Shannon Terry were thanked for their dedication to the sport with a large round of applause by nearly 500 Badger fans.
'The seniors have brought urgency and a real sense of passion to our team this season,' head coach Paula Wilkins said. 'In big situations they have come up with results, whether it was by big scores, big saves, big blocks or just great defending. They will need to bring that strength and passion one last time this Friday to really leave their legacy here.'
Wisconsin's Friday opponent, Northwestern (8-6-4 overall, 3-4-2 Big Ten) went 1-1 last weekend at home against Minnesota and Iowa. The Wildcats fell to the Gophers 1-0 on Friday, then shutout the Hawkeyes 3-0 on Sunday.
Northwestern has six players who have each recorded at least 10 shots this season. Kelsey Hans leads the team in shots with 53, putting 23 on-goal, while Shannon Schneeman has tallied 46 shots with 25 on-goal. Seniors Hans and Schneeman also lead NU in points with 20 and 17, respectively. Each have tallied eight goals this season.
In goal for the Wildcats, Lauren Johnson owns a 7-6-4 record. The senior has collected four shutouts this season and owns a 1.17 goals-against average and a .759 save percentage.
'We need to make sure we are getting good pressure on the ball and good cover all over the field,' Wilkins said. 'Northwestern is a very dynamic group up front and we will need to be aware of what they are going to bring and make sure we are covering each other.'
The Badgers take on Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 2. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. in Evanston, Ill.
