NORMAL, Ill. -- It didn't take long for the excitement of a new season to begin for the Wisconsin women's soccer team, just over two minutes to be exact, as Dani Rhodes scored an early goal and the Badgers shut out Illinois State, 1-0, on the road in their season opener on Friday night.

A freshman forward from Waukesha and a two-time Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, Rhodes fired in the lone goal in the third minute of the game to lead the Badgers to a season-opening victory in her debut.

"I think it's great to get the first win, but the bigger part of tonight was getting some experience from some new players in different roles," UW head coach Paula Wilkins said. "The result was good. We have been talking about the process and getting all the details right. I think we did some of it right, but this is also giving us an opportunity to keep getting better as we go forward."
 
Off of a corner kick and assist from junior Sydney McGinnis, which created a great scoring opportunity, Rhodes knocked in the Badgers' first goal of the season in the bottom right corner of net just under three minutes into her Wisconsin career.

"Dani has been very dangerous in practice," Wilkins added. "I don't ever know what to expect, but I am very happy about it and excited for her to get her first goal."
 
Junior Caitlyn Clem was in net for the Badgers and clinched her first shutout of the season with a total of four saves.
 
"I think Caitlyn did a great job managing the game," Wilkins said. "I think she would also say herself that the people in front of her battled. That's a new (defensive) line in front of her and they did a good job. I think she was able to give them the information they needed and that helped. It was a good thing for her to get her first shutout of the year." 
 
Rhodes matched senior midfielder Rose Lavelle with a team-high four shots. Rhodes had two shots on goal, while Lavelle and McGinnis each had one. 
 
Wisconsin held a commanding 20-9 advantage in shots over Illinois State. The Badgers also won the battle for corner kicks, 9-5.

The Badgers continue their season-opening road trip and face No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT). The game can be seen live on ESPN3.