Big Ten: Badgers no longer fly under the radar

Their time as unknowns, of catching opponents off-guard and of having a ready alibi for failure, has passed for members of the University of Wisconsin women's soccer program.

After a period of rebuilding under fourth-year coach Paula Wilkins, the Badgers sent appropriate notice last season that they intend to be a national force. They followed up their best Big Ten Conference finish in a decade (5-1-4) by advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Ten starters are back from that team, which finished 10-6-6 overall. While still quite young -- 13 sophomores and eight freshmen form the core of the 30-player roster -- the talent pool has gotten deep enough that UW finds itself ranked 20th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll after a five-year absence from the rankings.

After going 15-20-2 overall in their first two seasons under Wilkins, the Badgers open the regular season Friday at 7 p.m. at UW-Green Bay trying to embrace a new reality.

''They're going to be the team that's expected to win," Wilkins said.

''We're expecting great things out of ourselves," standout junior forward and Mequon product Laurie Nosbusch said. "There are really no excuses right now. No one's going to overlook us anymore."

It's one thing to hear and voice that notion. It's something else to actually live it.

''We've been trying to get them off the euphoria of last year, saying the work you have to do this year is harder because they next step is more difficult," Wilkins said. "They came back fitter than they've ever been, so they came back with that, but I think these first couple games are really going to give us a platform to work from."

UW clearly made strides last season, but the fact remains its margin for error was small. The Badgers outscored opponents 25-22, were shut out six times -- including a 1-0 loss to Boston College in the NCAA tournament -- and won 10 one-goal matches.

The biggest carryover from that experience won't be found on the stat sheet, but it will figure prominently in the coming months.

''It gave us confidence," said Nosbusch, who led the Badgers with six goals, six assists and 18 points in 22 matches as a sophomore.

''We thought we were a good team. We had some big wins. We finally did better in the Big Ten. But then to go that far in the NCAA tournament solidified our growing confidence. We look at it as a steppingstone to where we really want to be."

Wilkins had an interesting answer when asked to define the strength of her team, which is picked to finish third in the Big Ten behind perennial powerhouse Penn State and Ohio State.

''It's the team, the fact that they'll battle together, that they'll be united in what they do," she said. "I don't know if we have -- I don't mean this in a bad way -- so many big rock stars. I think they fight for each other. I think they compete together and they give each other feedback."

Among the returning starters for UW are Nosbusch, senior goalkeeper Michele Dalton and four sophomores who were named to the Big Ten All-freshman team a year ago: forward Paige Adams, defender Lindsay Johnson, midfielder Alev Kelter and midfielder Monica Lam-Feist.

Newcomers expected to have an immediate impact are defender Alexandra Heller, midfielder Catie Sessions and forward Kodee Williams.

The Badgers will face two non-conference opponents that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in 2009 -- UCLA and Portland -- as part of an odd schedule. Eight of their nine matches in September are on the road, while five of their last seven are at the McClimon Soccer Field.

UW expects to take on a different role this season.

''We don't want to be the team that's the underdog surprising people anymore," Nosbusch said. "We understand that people are going to expect us to play well and they have to play well against us."

By Andy Baggot, The Wisconsin State Journal