Badgers await fate for the big dance
November 03, 2016 | Women's Soccer
Likely on the bubble, Wisconsin prepares for NCAA tournament run
Two shots. That was it. A small, but crucial difference that knocked out a talented Wisconsin women's soccer team from the Big Ten tournament last weekend.
After a nailbiting battle for a 1-1 tie, UW lost in penalty kicks after missing the first two shots while Michigan hit four PK shots.
A heartbreaker, but it still isn't the end for this tough Badger squad. The Badgers now await their fate and will hear if they will make it to the big dance in the selection show on Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. CT.
"It was disappointing to see our Big Ten run end in penalty kicks," head coach Paula Wilkins said. "It's always a challenging and hard thing to do in soccer but it's kind of the reality of our sport. You just kind of wish that for us that we would have been able to finish the game in regulation or even overtime."
"If we get the opportunity to move on and we're going to prepare like we are moving on, the Michigan game will be a learning game for us and hopefully will propel us into the NCAAs."
Wisconsin has worked up a pretty nice resume so far this season and is currently sitting 35th in the RPI rankings.
Don't just take our word for it though. According to Chris Henderson's famous tournament week bubble cheat sheet, the expert believes the Badgers still have a good chance of making the big dance.
"Eliminated by Michigan in Big Ten Tournament. A lot of good results, but no real 'great' one. I think they'll be fine though," Henderson projected.
"Going through my bubble cheat sheet, I think the only two teams I can't make an argument against are Santa Clara and Wisconsin."
UW fought through many challenges early on in the season that no other team saw, facing three top-25 teams in the first six games. The Badgers didn't catch much of a break later, facing two more ranked teams in a row just two games later. Thirteen games into the season, Wisconsin had already faced three top-15 teams, more than most other programs will face in an entire season.
UW also pulled off one of the most epic upsets of the season, tearing down eighth-ranked rival Minnesota in Gopher territory. Wisconsin finished the regular season with a 1-2-4 record against ranked opponents, with the only two losses coming to top-15 teams.
Big Ten honors also stand as evidence for the individual talent on the team.
Senior Rose Lavelle was named Midfielder of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season by the conference. She became the first student-athlete to earn the honor in back-to-back years since the award's debut in 2011. She is now a four-time, first-team All-Big Ten selection, the first four-time winner in program history.
Additionally, Caitlyn Clem garnered the second All-Big Ten honor of her career, landing a spot on the All-Big Ten third team. Freshmen Dani Rhodes and Allie Winterfield earned spots on the All-Big Ten Freshman team, marking the most freshmen the program has had on the team since both Rose Lavelle and Kylie Schwarz collected the honor in 2013.
There's some serious talent on this Wisconsin team. And now the Badgers wait for a chance to keep showing what they are made of.
After a nailbiting battle for a 1-1 tie, UW lost in penalty kicks after missing the first two shots while Michigan hit four PK shots.
A heartbreaker, but it still isn't the end for this tough Badger squad. The Badgers now await their fate and will hear if they will make it to the big dance in the selection show on Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. CT.
"It was disappointing to see our Big Ten run end in penalty kicks," head coach Paula Wilkins said. "It's always a challenging and hard thing to do in soccer but it's kind of the reality of our sport. You just kind of wish that for us that we would have been able to finish the game in regulation or even overtime."
"If we get the opportunity to move on and we're going to prepare like we are moving on, the Michigan game will be a learning game for us and hopefully will propel us into the NCAAs."
Wisconsin has worked up a pretty nice resume so far this season and is currently sitting 35th in the RPI rankings.
Don't just take our word for it though. According to Chris Henderson's famous tournament week bubble cheat sheet, the expert believes the Badgers still have a good chance of making the big dance.
"Eliminated by Michigan in Big Ten Tournament. A lot of good results, but no real 'great' one. I think they'll be fine though," Henderson projected.
"Going through my bubble cheat sheet, I think the only two teams I can't make an argument against are Santa Clara and Wisconsin."
UW fought through many challenges early on in the season that no other team saw, facing three top-25 teams in the first six games. The Badgers didn't catch much of a break later, facing two more ranked teams in a row just two games later. Thirteen games into the season, Wisconsin had already faced three top-15 teams, more than most other programs will face in an entire season.
UW also pulled off one of the most epic upsets of the season, tearing down eighth-ranked rival Minnesota in Gopher territory. Wisconsin finished the regular season with a 1-2-4 record against ranked opponents, with the only two losses coming to top-15 teams.
Big Ten honors also stand as evidence for the individual talent on the team.
Senior Rose Lavelle was named Midfielder of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season by the conference. She became the first student-athlete to earn the honor in back-to-back years since the award's debut in 2011. She is now a four-time, first-team All-Big Ten selection, the first four-time winner in program history.
Additionally, Caitlyn Clem garnered the second All-Big Ten honor of her career, landing a spot on the All-Big Ten third team. Freshmen Dani Rhodes and Allie Winterfield earned spots on the All-Big Ten Freshman team, marking the most freshmen the program has had on the team since both Rose Lavelle and Kylie Schwarz collected the honor in 2013.
There's some serious talent on this Wisconsin team. And now the Badgers wait for a chance to keep showing what they are made of.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
MF
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