|
 Coming off a disappointing weekend, the University of Wisconsin women's soccer team bounced back in a big way.
The Badgers had five players score in a 5-1 rout of Purdue in a Big Ten Conference match Friday night at the McClimon Complex, their best offensive output in more than three years.
"We were able to create some very good chances with crosses in the face of the goal and, the stuff we've been talking about all season, we were finally able to do that to put them away," UW coach Paula Wilkins said in a news release. "We finished our chances when we were calm in the final third, something we've been working on in training."
UW (9-5-3 overall, 4-2-3 Big Ten) matched its season high with three goals in the first half.
Canadian junior Monica Lam-Feist and Swedish freshman Julia Roddar teamed up for the first two. They worked a give-and-go that Lam-Feist finished for her second goal of the season in the 12th minute, and the midfielders reversed roles in the 27th with Roddar scoring her first collegiate goal.
"I got the ball and at first I was thinking about shooting, but then I saw Monica sprinting through and she was onside so I passed it and she scored," Roddar said.
Junior forward Paige Adams made it 3-0 in the 45th, flicking a header past Boilermakers goalkeeper Clara Kridler after a cross from senior midfielder Leigh Williams on the left flank. It was the first goal since Nov. 2, 2009, for Adams, who missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in her knee.
Purdue (6-10-2, 3-5-1) pulled one back in the 65th when Kellie Phillips scored directly off a corner kick, but junior midfielder Alev Kelter and senior forward Laurie Nosbusch (Mequon Homestead) scored in a 6-minute span in the final 15 minutes as UW posted its most goals since a 7-1 win over Vermont on Sept. 7, 2008.
Senior keeper Michele Dalton finished with five saves for the Badgers, who moved into a tie for third place with Michigan State in the Big Ten with two matches remaining. Both of UW's games are at home, Sunday afternoon against Indiana and next Saturday against Iowa. The top seven teams qualify for the conference tournament, along with last-place Northwestern, the tournament host. Penn State and Illinois are comfortably ahead in the top two spots, but there are just five points and six teams between UW and the Spartans in third and Purdue in 10th.
"Anytime you're heading into postseason play, I think it's important having confidence," said Wilkins, whose team gave up a late goal and tied Northwestern 1-1 last Friday before losing to Illinois 1-0 on Sunday. "You need a good goalkeeper, and I thought Michele did well today for everything that she had. And you need a good goal-scorer and if you have a bunch of people scoring, that's just as well."
|
