Wisconsin Badgers
Northwestern
Quick Kicks: No. 14 Wisconsin hosts Northwestern
September 12, 2026 | Women's Soccer
The Badgers return to McClimon for its Big Ten home opener
MADISON, Wis.-Â No. 14 Wisconsin women's soccer (4-1-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) returns home to face Northwestern (3-3-2, 1-0-0) on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT at McClimon Soccer Complex, with the match streaming on B1G+. The match will also serve as Alumni and Future Badger Day.
1. A History with Northwestern
Wisconsin and Northwestern last met in the 2025 regular-season finale, battling to a 1-1 draw in Evanston. Erin Connolly put the Badgers ahead with assists from Jenna Baumann and Brooke Allen before Northwestern equalized later in the match.
The Badgers are 11-2-2 against the Wildcats in Madison and won the most recent matchup at McClimon, 2-1, in 2023. In the all time series Wisconsin leads 21-9-4. In the last 10 meetings the Badgers have gone 5-4-2.Â
2. Know the Wildcats
Northwestern enters Sunday's match with a 3-3-2 overall record and a 1-0-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have relied heavily on their defense early in the season, recording four shutouts through eight matches.
The Wildcats opened conference play with a 1-0 victory over Michigan on Thursday. Junior Alex Fallon broke the scoreless tie in the 85th minute, scoring her second goal and second game-winner of the season. Goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson made a season-high five saves to earn her third shutout of the year and the 13th of her career.
Northwestern faced a challenging nonconference slate that included No. 11 Virginia and No. 10 Tennessee. The Wildcats also earned wins over Denver and Butler while recording draws against Illinois State and Loyola Chicago.
3. Big Ten Play Comes Home
The Badgers were picked fourth in the Big Ten preseason poll, behind Michigan State, UCLA and Washington. Wisconsin has consistently found itself near the top of the Big Ten under head coach Paula Wilkins. The Badgers captured the Big Ten Tournament title in 2014, earned a share of the regular-season championship in 2015 and went 10-0-1 in conference play to claim the 2019 Big Ten title.
The Badgers went 6-3-2 in Big Ten play in 2025 and reached the conference tournament semifinals after defeating Iowa, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. Wisconsin also picked up regular-season ranked wins over Penn State, Iowa and UCLA during the campaign.
The Badgers will play their next two conference matches at home, welcoming Northwestern before hosting Indiana on Sept. 20. Wisconsin will then hit the road for matchups with Maryland and Rutgers.
4. Last Time Out
Wisconsin opened Big Ten play with a 0-0 draw at Illinois on Thursday night. The Badgers moved to 4-1-2 overall and earned their first point of conference play.
After recording just one shot in the opening half, Wisconsin generated four shots in the second 45 minutes, putting all four on goal. Izy Traub, Anya Gulbrandsen, Erin Connolly and Abby Ballek each forced saves from Illinois goalkeeper Izzy Lee. Drew Stover made two saves to secure the clean sheet for Wisconsin.
The Badgers and Illini finished even with five shots and six corner kicks apiece, while Wisconsin held a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal. The scoreless draw extended Wisconsin's unbeaten streak to five matches.
5. Follow the Badgers
Stay connected with Wisconsin women's soccer throughout the 2026 season by following the Badgers on Instagram and X at @BadgerWSoccer and on Facebook at Wisconsin Women's Soccer. Fans can also visit UWBadgers.com for the latest news, schedules, results, statistics and more.
