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 With the Big Ten Conference women's soccer standings jam-packed behind leader Penn State heading into the final two weeks of the season, the University of Wisconsin gave up a late goal and dropped two points with a 1-1 draw against last-place Northwestern on Friday night in Evanston, Ill.
Junior defender Joana Bielefeld (Brookfield Central) scored her first career goal for the Badgers (8-4-3 overall) on a header in the 73rd minute, but freshman Niki Sebo did the same in the 87th and the Wildcats (2-11-1, 1-5-1 Big Ten) held on for the tie despite eight shots by UW in the two overtime periods.
The Badgers are in third place in the Big Ten with a 3-1-3 record heading into Sunday's match at second-place Illinois (10-4-1, 4-2-1), but there are just six points between UW and 11th-place Indiana with three games left to play.
Only the top seven teams in the 12-team league advance to the Big Ten tournament, which returns this season after a two-year absence – Northwestern automatically qualifies as the host of the event, which is Nov. 2 to 6. Needless to say, two more points would have helped the Badgers' cause.
"I think it's our growing pains in understanding that it has to be a continuous and consistent effort," UW coach Paula Wilkins said in a news release. "I thought we felt comfortable in the game, but didn't understand that Northwestern had changed a little bit what they were doing and we didn't react to it."
The Badgers broke the scoreless deadlock on a set piece. Junior defender Lindsey Johnson (Mequon Homestead) served in a free kick from the right flank that Bielefeld headed past Wildcats freshman goalkeeper Anna Cassell (eight saves) from the top of the 6-yard box.
"It was a well-driven ball," Wilkins said. "Jo beat her player and had a great header to finish it and did really well."
The goal marked the eighth time the Badgers had scored first this season, and they had won each of the previous seven games. They were just more than 3 minute away from extending that streak but failure to clear a corner kick cost them.
Northwestern's Jill Dunn took a corner and a UW defender attempted to head the ball out, but it ended up back at Dunn's feet. She settled the ball and crossed it to Sebo at the back post, and her close-range header beat Badgers senior keeper Michele Dalton (six saves) for the equalizer.
UW outshot the Wildcats 8-3 in overtime – and 20-11 for the match – but Cassell made one leaping save and one diving stop to keep it tied.
"I thought we created some chances, probably enough chances to win the game," Wilkins said.
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