Badgers rally past Rutgers into Big Ten title game

Thursday, April 15

University Park, PA

6:30 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

8-3-2, 6-3-2

Rutgers

8-3-3, 7-2-3

Wisconsin

Rutgers

Photo by: Dave Gaustad

Badgers rally past Rutgers into Big Ten title game

April 15, 2021 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Rice, Jaskaniec score second-half goals to lead UW to 2-1 win

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – For the second time in three weeks, the Wisconsin women's soccer took down No. 22 Rutgers as the Badgers earned a 2-1 win on Thursday in the semifinals of the 2020-21 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament at Jeffrey Park.

Senior Lauren Rice and sophomore Emma Jaskaniec scored second-half goals for the Badgers (7-3-3) to propel UW to their first Big Ten tournament title game appearance since 2014.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams battled tough weather conditions with high winds and sleet coming down.

Rutgers took a 1-0 lead when Mneka Moneme scored midway through the opening 45 minutes.

UW had four corner kicks in the first 45 minutes compared to Rutgers' zero, while both teams had a pair of shots on goal.

The Badgers' fortunes, along with the weather, improved in the second half when UW evened the game up at 1-1 in the 62nd minute. Cammie Murtha came blazing down the middle of the field to chase down a ball that Rutgers goalkeeper Meagan McClelland came to deal with. The ball bounced off McClelland and into the path of Rice, who fired the ball calmly into an empty net from range.

We 👀 you @lauren__rice pic.twitter.com/xXsMfamjlT
— Wisconsin Soccer (@BadgerWSoccer) April 16, 2021

Rice came close to giving UW the lead in the 67th minute as she fired a back heel shot just left of the Rutgers net.

The Scarlet Knights came close to taking the lead in the 72nd minute as RU's Sara Brocious had a shot that that ricocheted off both posts but did not cross the line.

𝙎𝙤 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 ️⚽️

The announcers' reactions matched the players after @BadgerWSoccer somehow kept this one out of the net in the @B1GSoccer semifinal.

cc: @DeanCLinke @jsanta_manny pic.twitter.com/2OiTXh1aoC
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) April 16, 2021

With just four minutes remaining, UW took a 2-1 lead as Jaskaniec fired the ball into the top right corner of the net after first-team All-Big Ten honoree Maia Cella found her open. Rice also picked up an assist on Jaskaniec's team-leading fourth goal of the year.

What! A! Goal!@emmajaskaniec with a huge goal for the #Badgers and assists by @maiacellaforca1 and @lauren__rice pic.twitter.com/pNms8B0wDT
— Wisconsin Soccer (@BadgerWSoccer) April 16, 2021

Notes to Know
- That was Rice's first goal of the season and her 15th career goal.
- Jaskaniec now has six career goals, all game-winning efforts.
- Jordyn Bloomer made four saves in the contest.
- UW had five corner kicks to Rutgers' two.
- UW improved to 6-1-2 all-time against Rutgers.
- Thursday's win was the Badgers' second win over a ranked team this year.

Up Next
UW will face Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. The game, which is a rematch of the 2014 Big Ten title game that UW won, can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.