The Iowa soccer team traveled to Madison, Wis., and blanked the Badgers, 2-0, in the last game of the 2011 regular season on Oct. 29.

The win gives the Hawkeyes (13-4-2, 5-4-2 Big Ten) five conference victories, tied for the most in program history.

It also helped secure Iowa’s bid in this week’s Big Ten Tournament, which will be held in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday through Nov. 6.

"The team played the last 45 minutes wanting to win every single ball, wanting to attack, and wanting to defend," head coach Ron Rainey said. "Anytime you play a team like Wisconsin and can earn a shutout, it’s pretty exciting for the group."

Sophomore midfielder Leah DeMoss scored the Hawkeyes’ first goal of the game in the 56th minute, her eighth of the season.

Iowa’s second goal came when freshman striker Cloé Lacasse was taken down in the box with fewer than 10 minutes remaining. She drew a penalty kick that senior Morgan Showalter was able to convert for the game’s second goal.

Iowa will now prepare for the conference tournament; the sixth-seeded Hawkeyes will face Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Thomas Sports Complex in Evanston.

The Hawkeyes beat the Spartans, 1-0, when they came to Iowa City on Oct. 2. Junior Dana Dalrymple’s score was the difference in the victory nearly a month ago, but Rainey said the team can’t take anything for granted now that his team is entering the postseason for the first time since the Hawkeyes hosted the event in 2008.

— by Ben Wolfson