A week after falling to top-ranked and defending national champion Notre Dame, a more confident University of Wisconsin women's soccer team took the field for its home opener Friday night.
Freshman Cara Walls (Wauwatosa East) and senior midfielder Leigh Williams scored, Swedish freshman midfielder Julia Roddar assisted on both goals and the Badgers kept No. 23 Washington off the scoreboard until the final minute in a 2-1 victory at the McClimon Complex.
UW enjoyed a 15-8 advantage in shots and put eight shots on goal, a marked improvement from the 2-0 loss to Notre Dame on the road last weekend.
"There was a big difference," Badgers coach Paula Wilkins said in a news release. "I was really happy with the energy that we came out with. Putting people under pressure and going together defensively as a group was something that we talked about.
"The players brought a really good energy to their home field and I was happy with that, especially against a quality opponent like Washington. They're a team that went to the Elite Eight last year and had a lot of starters coming back. It was big for us to be able to set the tone right away, which was something we hadn't done in the past early in the season."
UW welcomed back two key players, junior midfielder Alev Kelter and junior forward Paige Adams, as it extended its home unbeaten streak to eight.
Kelter, a second-team All-Big Ten Conference pick last season, missed last week's match because the two-sport standout was at the USA Hockey National Festival. Adams, meanwhile, was in action for the first time since 2009 after suffering a torn ACL in summer 2010. Both came off the bench.
The three freshmen in the Badgers' starting lineup – Walls, Roddar and defender Lauren Reid – also had a game's worth of experience against a national power under their belts.
Two of them teamed up for the opening goal in the 37th minute.
Senior forward Laurie Nosbusch (Mequon Homestead) dribbed into the corner and dropped the ball off for Roddar, who played a cross into the box. Washington goalkeeper Jorde LaFontaine-Kussman got her hands to it but deflected the ball to Walls, who made no mistake and bagged her first career goal.
"I think, for the first game against Notre Dame, she had big eyes, but today she looked very confident on the ball," Wilkins said of Walls, who was the leading scorer at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships last month as FC Milwaukee won the national title. "When she’s dynamic she’s very, very good, and we’ve been encouraging her to do that.
"I think with the complement of playing with Laurie, those two have found each other pretty well and were able to open up spaces."
In the 55th, Roddar – a regular on Swedish youth international sides – played in a cross that Williams drove past LaFontaine-Kussman to the far post for her first goal since November 2009.
UW senior keeper Michele Dalton looked set to post her 19th career shutout, but Lindsay Elston scored on a free kick with 27 seconds left. It was merely consolation for the Huskies (0-1-1).
"We started the game well enough, but Wisconsin's physical pressing style gave us trouble and we gave up too much to them on defense," Washington coach Lesle Gallimore said in a news release.
The Badgers play host to UW-Green Bay (1-1-1) at 2 p.m. Sunday looking to extend their dominance in the series – UW is 14-0-0 all-time against the Phoenix.
A week after falling to top-ranked and defending national champion Notre Dame, a more confident University of Wisconsin women's soccer team took the field for its home opener Friday night.