Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Madison 56ers' weekend trip for a pair of Women's Premier Soccer League matches got off to a frustrating start Friday and continued until the final half hour of Saturday's game against Fort Wayne FC.

The team left Madison at noon but got stuck in traffic in Chicago, which saw 2 million people turn out for the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship parade that day. They finally got to Indianapolis, and their match against Indiana United started 90 minutes after the scheduled kickoff - then played in torrential rain for the first 25 minutes.

Playing without five regular starters and with just one substitute field player, the 56ers dropped a 1-0 decision. The next day, Madison had chance after chance against Fort Wayne but trailed heading into the final 30 minutes before goals by Sara Spaulding (Milton) and University of Wisconsin forward Kodee Williams secured a 2-1 victory.

Indiana United 1, Madison 56ers 0

The home team scored the lone goal of the long night when Carly Williams' chip from 45 yards out got past UW incoming freshman Meghan Ledin (Middleton) with about 20 minutes left.

Madison made the weekend trip without four key midfielders - Alex Melin (Verona), Marquette's Taylor Madigan (Waunakee), UW-Green Bay's Hannah Kernen (Belleville/Sugar River) and UW's Marta Wangard (Brookfield East) - and missing UW-Milwaukee forward Morgan LaPlant (Madison La Follette) and defender Mara Wyttenbach (UW).

"We actually played OK, considering," said 56ers coach John Reddan, whose team beat Indiana United 3-1 in a season opener May 31 at Breese Stevens Field. "It was a fairly even game. Overall, it wasn't fantastic play, but it was strong enough. I thought we could have mustered a tie.

"With about 10 minutes left, we went to 3-4-3 and we created a bunch of problems, we were getting it forward, getting in the box, but nothing real clean. ... nothing materialized."

MADISON 56ERS: Katy Pilarzyk; Ashley Burkhardt, Jenna Harrington, Geena Swentik, Ashley Burkhardt, Sarah Schmelzer; Kristyn Gawin, Shaina Riciputi, Lindsey Holmes; Molly Laufenberg, Sara Spaulding, Kodee Williams. Substitutes (open): Mary Erikson, Meghan Ledin (GK).

Madison 56ers 2, Fort Wayne FC 1

Down to just one keeper as a sub on the bench, the 56ers created chance after chance in the first half.

"They were playing kind of high," Reddan said of the Fort Wayne backline, "and we were going over the top, going through, we were beating them for speed, but either we were offside or we just weren't finishing, we put them over the top, we put them right at the keeper."

The hosts took the lead about a half hour in on a nice strike, and Reddan had a hard time coming up with much direction for his team in his halftime talk. "I'm like, 'OK, here are some adjustments to try to make, but in the end, you just have to score goals. I don't know what to tell you,' " he said.

Spaulding broke in on goal and finished to pull the 56ers (3-3) level with 20 minutes to go and Williams tucked in the winner in the 82nd minute as Madison pulled out the win. Ledin logged minutes in the field in the first half to provide a break for some 56ers players, and UW-Green Bay keeper Katy Pilarzyk (Madison Memorial) did the same in the second half.

MADISON 56ERS: Katy Pilarzyk; Ashley Burkhardt, Jenna Harrington, Geena Swentik, Ashley Burkhardt, Sarah Schmelzer; Mary Erikson, Shaina Riciputi, Lindsey Holmes; Molly Laufenberg, Sara Spaulding, Kodee Williams. Substitute (open): Meghan Ledin.

Up next

The 56ers were set to play host to two matches this weekend at Breese Stevens Field, but instead will face only the Des Moines Menace (4-2-0) at 5 p.m. Friday. Fort Wayne (0-4-0) forfeited Saturday's scheduled game due to a lack of players, with Madison awarded a 3-0 victory.