MADISON, Wis. – Following a scoreless first half, nationally-ranked Wisconsin scored a late goal to secure a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee women's soccer team Thursday night at McClimon Soccer Complex in the season opener for both programs.
 
The Panthers (0-1) pulled within 2-1 on a goal from Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett in the 68^th minute, but couldn't get any closer as the No. 23 Badgers (1-0) added a late insurance goal to pick up the victory.
 
"We played a very good opponent tonight, and we are still in the very early stages of trying to learn who we are and to create our own identity," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "We have a lot of players getting significant minutes right now in what is the first main time of their career and learning how to do that and how to handle that. I was happy we got a goal to respond to a couple of their goals, but we know where we are, we just need to get better. Our focus is entirely on us right now trying to get better every game."
 
Scoreless at the break after a strong first half by the Panthers – including a brilliant save just 3:28 into the contest by newcomer Bella Hollenbach in net on a close-range header – the Badgers finally broke onto the scoreboard via a penalty kick in the 51^st minute.
 
UW used the momentum to its advantage, doubling its lead on a goal in the 62^nd minute. The game looked like it could have gone all the Badgers way next, but a goal was called off due to an offsides call and, after a review, a penalty kick that was awarded was changed to a foul just outside the box, which the MKE defense cleared and it remained 2-0.
 
The Panthers made their move next, scoring on a brilliant goal off a corner kick. Natalie Zodrow started the sequence with her CK attempt, which was cleared back towards the midfield. Ellie Rebmann ran onto the ball and sent a well-placed service over the backline, where Skinner-Barrett and Emily Petring were both waiting. Skinner-Barrett got a foot on the ball and sent it past the diving keeper to cut the lead in half.
 
Originally the offsides flag was up, but another review gave MKE the break it needed and overturned the call and the goal stood, making it 2-1 at the 67:52 mark. The momentum was short-lived, as the Badgers then picked up an insurance goal about six minutes later to finally put it away.
 
Hollenbach finished with four saves in her 67 minutes of action. Lilly Hanke came on late in the second half and recorded three saves in her 23:13 of field time, including a diving stop to her left in the 77^th minute and then a brilliant save with a dive to stop a shot headed inside the near post in the 84^th minute.
 
For the game, UW held big advantages of 24-2 in shots, 7-2 in corner kicks, and 10-1 in shots in goal, but needed that late goal to put the Panthers away.
 
The team will head back to Milwaukee for its home opener Sunday, welcoming Northern Iowa to Engelmann Stadium for a contest set to get underway at 5 p.m.