Wisconsin Badgers
Overall Rank: # 41
Conference Rank: #4 Big Ten
Wisconsin Team Page
After starting the season winning six of its first seven games, Wisconsin looked to be on its way to a successful campaign. However, the Badgers went 6-7-1 the rest of the year and had their season end with a 1-0 NCAA Tournament loss to UCLA, the squad's second loss to the Bruins on the season. The tournament appearance marked the school's third in four years. The team brings back 10 of last year's 11 freshmen in what looks to be another exciting season for another young squad.
2012 Record: 12-8-1, 5-5-1
2012 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Paula Wilkins
Strengths:
One of the strengths the Badgers have coming into this season is the strength of numbers. As stated above, 10 of last year's freshmen return, with at least six of them playing valuable minutes. That isn't the only positive though. Leading scorer Cara Walls returns for her junior season, after scoring 10 goals last year. The team also brings back McKenna Meuer, Kodee Williams and Kinley McNicoll, who finished 3-5 in goals scored with four, three and three, respectively. Wisconsin also brings in a recruiting class that will help them compete for the foreseeable future, as three of the eight members (MF Micaela Powers, D Kylie Schwartz and F Rose Lavelle) of the class made the College Sports Madness Top 150 recruits.
Weaknesses:
Wisconsin needs to replace starting goalie Lauren Gunderson, who started 15 of the squad's 21 games last season. Genevieve Richard started the other six games and returns for her senior year but the team will need either of the two incoming freshmen, Caitlyn Clem or Meghan Ledin, to possibly step right into goal. Both freshmen are members of the Olympic Development Program. Who replaces the second and third leading goal scorers, Paige Adams and Monica Lam-Feist? Will it be freshman Powers, a two-time NSCAA All-American, who scored 82 goals in her prep career? Or possibly freshman Lavelle, who is playing with the US U20 National Team this summer?
Final Projection:
The Badgers will be young and only eight of the 25 team members are juniors or seniors but the mix of the younger players and the experienced players can lead to success. Having Walls back will relieve some of the pressure that might be put on the freshman class to score. Richard has only started and seen action in six games in her career, but will be coming off of a summer that saw her play with the Canadian U20 National Team. If she, or either of the freshmen, is as good as advertised, there's no reason why the Badgers can't make the NCAA Tournament again and even upset some teams in the process. A strong start to the season will depend on how the Badgers can handle playing five of their first six games away from home.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
Goals: Cara Walls, Junior, F, 10
Assists: Kinley McNicoll, Sophomore, MF, 6
Shots: Cara Walls, 52
Saves: Genevieve Richard, Junior, 27
Madness 2013 Women’s Soccer Recruit Rankings:
#18 Micaela Powers
#50 Kylie Schwarz
#54 Rose Lavelle
See All Women's Soccer Top 44 Team Previews
