MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's soccer team hosts its first regular-season game of the season on Friday night at the McClimon Soccer Complex against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Badgers are 7-4-1 in season openers.Â
Game Coverage
Friday, Aug. 18 | 7pm — Madison, Wis.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
1. A NEW ERA BEGINS: UW returns seven regular starters including goalkeeper and two-time All-Big Ten honoree
Caitlyn Clem, 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Victoria Pickett and members of the 2016 All-Big Ten freshman team,
Dani Rhodes and
Allie Winterfield.
2. HISTORY: Wisconsin leads the all-time series with Kentucky 4-1-1. The Badgers held a two-game winning streak before their most recent meeting in 2015 when the two teams tied 0-0. UW is 2-1-0 against the Wildcats in Madison.
3. SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Wildcats finished the 2016 season with a 5-9-4 overall record and 1-7-3 in the Southeastern Conference. UK will be under new leadership as Ian Carry, who has been with the program the last four seasons as an assistant coach, will take the reigns as the third head coach in Kentucky history. As freshmen last season, Evangeline Soucie and Marissa Bosco were named to the SEC Freshman Team. Soucie had a season-high 11 saves in two different matches vs. No. 5 Florida and at No. 21 Columbia. Bosco scored three goals and had five assists on the season.
4. THREE'S THE CHARM: Wisconsin women's soccer's
Caitlyn Clem,
Victoria Pickett and
Dani Rhodes were recognized by the Big Ten on Monday as members of the preseason All-Conference team, as chosen by the league's coaches.
5. EXHIBITION RECAP: The Badgers won both of their exhibition matches starting with a 1-0 blanking of Detroit-Mercy before taking down in-state rival Marquette, 4-1. Rhodes tallied a goal in both matches while Pickett, sophomore
Grace Bahr and
Lauren Rice each netted a strike against the Golden Eagles.
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