The Badgers are a young team this year. They have four freshmen — Erin Jacobsen, Rita Keimakh, Laurie Nosbusch and Leigh Williams — who have seen significant playing time in every game.

Of the four, Jacobsen and Nosbusch have played major roles in the UW offense. The two have combined for eight goals and seven assists on the season. Nosbusch also is the team’s point leader with 14 through nine games.

“They’ve done a great job in terms of impacting the program,” head coach Paula Wilkins said. “I also think that the entire team has helped them along in that process. It’s never easy as a freshman, and all the upperclassmen have given them great feedback.”

Another thing that seems to have eased the transition for the Wisconsin freshmen is the opportunity to share the experience of playing so much so soon. With four freshmen seeing regular playing time, they have the ability to rely on each other as needed.

This year’s freshman class for Wisconsin ranks as its best in program history, according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. Wisconsin’s class is ranked 21st nationally and fourth in the Great Lakes region behind Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State.

With Jacobsen playing in the midfield and Nosbusch up top as a forward, the two have quickly developed a good sense of where the other is on the field, creating scoring opportunities for each other.

“I think they look for each other all the time and complement each other,” Wilkins said. “With their abilities, I think that it’s very dangerous. They both present the ideas that they want to do things in the attacking third.”

Over the weekend, the two earned added responsibility as offensive captain Taylor Walsh continues to rest with a knee injury. Jacobsen responded with a pair of goals and an assist, and Nosbusch added the eventual game-winning goal in Sunday’s contest to go along with an assist.

“We talked about [the fact] that everyone has to take a little bit more responsibility when somebody with Taylor’s impact is down,” Wilkins said. “I think Erin and Laurie really rose to that challenge, and I’m really excited about it.”

Since Nosbusch has emerged as a significant scoring threat for the Badgers, she has benefited greatly from Jacobsen’s passing ability.

“Erin’s a great player to play with,” Nosbusch said. “She is so quick on the ball, and she can find little passing lanes. I think it works well when I can come back to the ball and she can just find little passes.”

For Jacobsen, the offensive ability Nosbusch has displayed gives her a lot of confidence.

“Laurie is a beast. She is a great goal scorer,” Jacobsen said. “I know all I need to do is get her the ball and she will do the rest. She makes me look good out there.”

Even with all their success so early in their careers, Jacobsen and Nosbusch remain humble and are quick to point out the help they get from the entire team.

“It’s just a team effort for us right now,” Jacobsen said. “I think everyone is playing really well, and I’ve just been able to benefit from their success.”

In addition to working well with each other, Jacobsen and Nosbusch have developed excellent relationships with Walsh, which has been significant in the major increase in offensive output for the Badgers this season.

“I think they’ve made Taylor more excited to play,” Wilkins said. “She trusts them and what they are trying to do. I think that’s built a good rapport, and when you have that trust it builds on itself; it has created many more chances for our offense.”

For Nosbusch, a Mequon native, playing at Wisconsin has been like a dream come true.

“It’s great to play so much as a freshman at my dream school,” Nosbusch said. “I like playing with all the other forwards, and I think it’s a team effort. I know that I do play a lot, but I know it’s because of the work that the other girls do too that I’m able to play so well.”