WHAT'S NEXT?
WOMEN'S SOCCER
BY JEREMY WODAJO
Super fresh: Class of
2013 set to make impact
Talented newcomers expected to contribute
T
o say the 2013 women's
soccer recruiting class is
one of the top groups in the
country is an understatement.
Paula Wilkins, who is entering her seventh season
at UW and her 13th season
as a head coach, regards the
bunch as one of the top classes she has recruited in over a
52 » VARSITY
JUN E 20, 2013
decade of coaching.
Wilkins has coached and
developed a handful of Olympians, many of whom competed in this past summer's
Olympic Games. Her ability
as a top-notch recruiter has
also resulted in over 170 wins,
two College Cup appearances, six Big Ten regular-season
championships and a pair of
@BadgerWSoccer
Big Ten tournament titles.
The five-time Big Ten Coach of the
Year has the experience to return the
Badgers to the College Cup for the
first time since 1991 and she believes
that journey will take a huge leap forward with the addition of this season's newcomers.
"This class is not only talented, but
they possess the winning attitude that
we strive to instill in all of our players," Wilkins said. "That's a huge benefit for us as coaches because it makes
the training environment much more
competitive and sets the standard for
success.
"Their maturity and skill is also a
huge plus, and the fact that they complement the core of returning players
so well makes things even more exciting heading into late August."
Four of the seven newcomers are
considered four-star prospects according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
The class is led by a pair of Ohio natives in Rose Lavelle and Micaela
Powers. Lavelle spent the summer
competing for the U20 U.S. Women's
National Team, while Powers was
named Ohio's Player of the Year and
Dayton's top female athlete.
Badgers open season at UConn
» UW recently announced its 2013
slate, which includes nine home
games and trips to UConn, Oregon and Illinois State. The Badgers welcome Vanderbilt for their
home opener on Sept. 6 and will
also host 2012 Big Ten champion
and NCAA runner-up Penn State
at the McClimon Complex in 2013.