October 14, 2012
ILLINI FALL AGAIN
Badgers win in ot

MADISON, Wis. –Cara Walls scored in the 101st minute to give Wisconsin a 2-1 win over Illinois on Sunday.

Illinois drops to 7-6-2 overall and 4-3-1 in Big Ten competition while Wisconsin moves to 10-5-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play.

Vanessa DiBernardo recorded the first shot for the Illini, when she utilized the slick ground to one-hop a shot to the Badgers' goalkeeper Genevieve Richard. The Wisconsin keeper was once again tested in the 34th-minute when DiBernardo sent a through ball to Marissa Holden who then released an off-balanced low shot.

Holden scored in the 42nd-minute on a play that once again started with DiBernardo. Vanessa dribbled the ball up the left side of the field nearing the Wisconsin end-line. Her cross was headed away by a Badgers' defender but the ball found Holden's feet about 20 yards out at the top left portion of the box. Marissa took one-touch then struck a left-footed shot that went over the keeper's reach and into the far post.

DiBernardo nearly added to their lead off a free-kick in the 52nd-minute. Her shot knuckled over the wall and began to bend to the near post. Richard then leaped and tipped the ball, which hit the cross bar before going over the goal. On the ensuing corner kick, Taylore Peterson's shot was blocked deep in the box.

Illinois goalkeeper Steph Panozzo preserved the lead in the 70th-minute with a reaction save. A Wisconsin free kick sent the ball into the Illinois box where it bounced around for several seconds before finding Walls. The sophomore then released a low shot from around 10 yards out right at Panozzo.

The Badgers found the equalizer in the 83rd-minute when they capitalized off of an Illinois turnover. An Illinois back pass skidded underneath the foot of an Illini defender and was collected by Wisconsin's Lindsey Holmes inside the box where she finished off the play.

Walls, the Badgers leading scorer, delivered the game-winner . Walls, who was waiting around the penalty spot, received a cross from the left, spun around the Illinois defender and placed the ball into the corner of the net.

Illinois suffers back-to-back losses for just the second time this season. In addition, the Illini lost their first game this season when scoring first as their winning streak in that scenario was snapped at 31 games, spanning the previous three seasons.

Steph Panozzo finished with eight saves in the contest bringing her season total to 66. Richard also made six saves for the Badgers.

Illinois hosts Northwestern on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. CT .