Things have not exactly gone smoothly for the UW men's soccer team over the last few weeks, but thanks to a two-goal performance from senior forward Nick Van Sicklen, the Badgers were able to turn their luck Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over in-state rivals UW-Milwaukee at the McClimon Soccer Complex.
\I feel like the entire season it hasn't bounced our way,"" Van Sicklen said. ""And it definitely has not bounced my way. And so, I was due for a couple sitters. You know, I put them away and that's all that matters.""
Going into the game, Wisconsin was dealing with more than just a little bad luck at the offensive end. Missing from the lineup for the third game was leading scorer, senior striker Jed Hohlbein, who injured his ankle against IUPUI. Head coach Jeff Rohrman was also absent as he left the team to be with his family following the death of his mother.
Despite the distractions, UW was still able to dispatch a strong UWM squad. The game started slowly as each team probed the other for weaknesses.
It was UW that struck first in the 15th minute. Freshman midfielder B.J. Goodman found fellow freshman Dirk Pearson with a precise pass on the left side of the UWM box. From there, Pearson unleashed a hard shot toward the goal. The shot beat UWM goalkeeper Eric Mickschl and ricocheted off the post to Van Sicklen, who picked up the rebound and finished from a tight angle.
Following the goal, UW held off the Panthers for the rest of the second half, though UWM did pose a constant threat down the right flank thanks to sophomore forward Dale Weiler. However, the Badgers defense, led by sophomore defender Aaron Hohlbein, did well to contain Weiler and make sure none of his crosses were turned goalward.
The Badgers were able to double their advantage in the 58th minute when Van Sicklen was Johnny On-the-Spot again to head home an errant shot from senior midfielder/forward David Martinez. The goal was made by sophomore midfielder Aaron Witchger, who played a cheeky chip over the UWM back line to set up Martinez.
UWM responded to the goal by throwing everything they had at the UW defense. Just 10 minutes after the UW goal, Milwaukee cut the deficit in half with a goal from senior defender Trent Furtsch. The onslaught continued for the rest of the half, but the UW defense remained firm and preserved the win.
""We were just thinking 'We've got to hold it out.' I mean, they came out with a flurry in the end there ... you've just got to hold it strong and not let anything in,"" Aaron Hohlbein said.
With a win under their belts, UW now turns its attention to No. 3 Penn State, who they will face Sunday in Madison.
""This is a huge win for confidence,"" Hohlbein said. ""It feels great to win and everybody's pumped up and ready to go.""
