To kick off the 2025 season, three University of Wisconsin women’s soccer players were named to the 2025 Big Ten Players to Watch list. Junior defender Hailey Baumann and grad student midfielders Madison Ishaug and Ashley Martinez have been pipped by the Big Ten to have standout seasons, and for good reason.
Coming off the back of a 10-6-5 season — wins-losses-draws — and a 5-3-3 record in the Big Ten, the Badgers went on to defeat the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers and advance to the Round of 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.
The Badgers recorded other notable wins, including a 2-1 upset against the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City and a 5-0 thumping of Maryland.
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So far this season, the Badgers sit at 7-2-1 and 1-1-1 in the Big Ten, but the slow start to conference play did not indicate how strong the team looked in their nonconference schedule. Only dropping one game in a 1-0 loss to LSU, the Badgers won all six of their other games, keeping four clean sheets and scoring 14 goals.
In the Big Ten this season, the Badgers fell 2-1 in the opener against Purdue, but bounced back on a trip to Columbus, Ohio in a 0-0 draw with Ohio State. Last season, the Buckeyes ended the Badgers’ Big Ten Championship hopes, defeating them 1-0 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The most recent conference match, away against the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions, ended in a season-defining 2-1 upset. The Nittany Lions had yet to lose a match in Big Ten play, but a brace by junior midfielder Erin Connolly pushed the Badgers to eighth in the conference, with four other programs.
Having the ability to travel to a rival’s stadium and come away with a point — or a victory — will be crucial for the Badgers. Even more crucial, however, will be defending home turf as the Badgers host all four of the top four teams in the Big Ten last season — University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Iowa and Michigan State.
This season, the players to watch — Ishaug, Martinez and Baumann — will play a key role in any success that the Badgers aim for.
Ishaug has been a staple in the Badger midfield during her five years in Madison. After her freshman year ended early thanks to a season-ending injury, she came back her sophomore year and started in all 19 matches, dishing out two assists and netting two goals.
Her best season yet came during her junior year, playing in all 23 matches and a team-high 2,070 minutes. Despite only scoring one goal and registering three assists, she proved that face-value stats are not all that matter. Ishaug earned her way into the All-Big Ten Third Team and put in a Player of the Match performance in the NCAA Tournament first round with a goal and an assist.
This season, Ishaug came flying out of the gate — getting a goal in a rivalry matchup against Milwaukee and contributing an assist in a 4-0 demolition of Central Michigan.
Alongside Ishaug in the midfield, Martinez has seen success during her five years in Madison. Her breakout season came during her sophomore year, when she played in all 19 matches, scoring her first goal as a Badger late in the season against Nebraska.
Martinez tripled her production during her junior season, netting three goals and creating three assists as she started in all 23 matches. However, to the joy of Badger fans, Martinez continued to improve, scoring another three goals and tallying seven assists in her senior season. She also scored her first penalty of her career, showing how she has stepped up as a leader for this Badger team.
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The final player to watch, Baumann, played a huge role in the team’s run to the Big Ten Championship final and NCAA Second Round in 2023. She played 1,959 minutes across all 22 games, the fourth-most on the team. She finished the season on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten Third Team, with her impact on full display.
Her impact continued to drive the Badgers toward success, scoring her first goal in red-and-white against Nebraska during her sophomore season. She also led the outfield in minutes with 1,892 in 21 games. On top of her goal, she contributed three assists and helped the defense to eight clean sheets, earning her spot in the Big Ten All Tournament Team.
This season in nine games, Baumann doubled her total goals, bagging the game-winning goal against Marquette and nabbing two assists while once again leading the outfield players in minutes with 777.
With all three of these players firing on all cylinders this early in the season, it is easy to predict that the Badgers have a great opportunity to make a push in the Big Ten and more importantly, in the NCAA Tournament. Dedicated leaders that can prove their abilities on the field is the perfect recipe for success this season in the eyes of Badger fans.
The next matchup for the Badgers is on Thursday against last season’s No. 3 team in the Big Ten – the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CST, and will be broadcast through Big Ten.