ORLANDO, Fla. – Senior
Dani Rhodes and junior
Jordyn Bloomer each made standout plays in the second half, leading the No. 16 Wisconsin women's soccer team to a 1-0 win at UCF on Thursday at the UCF Track and Soccer Stadium.
After a scoreless first half between the Badgers (1-0-0) and Knights (0-1-0), Rhodes scored her fifth goal in three games in the 64th minute as she capitalized on a rebound off a Cammie Murtha shot and fired the ball low into the net to give UW a 1-0 lead.
Bloomer came up huge for the Badgers with 10 minutes remaining as the senior goaltender stopped Mallory Olsson's penalty kick down the middle to preserve the Wisconsin win.
Straight from the Pitch
Head coach Paula Wilkins
On the win:
"Anytime you can get a win on the road against a team like UCF, who does well in their conference and has played in the NCAA tournament, is a step in the right direction. I think tonight showed us some of the strengths that we have and some things we are going to need to work on before we play Florida State on Sunday. I'm proud that we were able to find a way to win tonight and that we were able to adjust our game plan on the fly thanks in part to our experienced players. Dani (Rhodes) getting the goal tonight with Cammie (Murtha) setting it up was a great example of that."
Notes to Know
- Wisconsin improved to 26-8-5 in season-opening matches and the Badgers have won their last eight season-openers.
- Bloomer matched a career high with six saves to earn her ninth career shutout.
- With her 26th career goal, Rhodes is tied for seventh place in school history with H. Willihnganz (1993-96) and Jackie Billet (1992-95).
- Rhodes, Murtha, Payton Wesley and Natalie Viggiano each had a shot on goal during the win.
- Macy Monticello earned her first career start for the Badgers in her collegiate debut while fellow freshmen Isabelle Verdugo and Jenna Kiraly also made their Wisconsin debuts.
Up Next
A tough test awaits Wisconsin in northern Florida as the Badgers will head to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on Florida State, the reigning NCAA champions. Kickoff on Sunday is set for 1 p.m. CT and can be seen live on the ACC Network or via the Watch ESPN app.
