After a difficult foray out west, the Wisconsin men's soccer team (4-4) looks to change its fortunes when it plays host to the Northern Illinois Huskies (5-2-1) at 7 p.m. tonight at McClimon Soccer Complex.
The schedule over the past three weeks has taken the Badgers to Milwaukee, Albuquerque, and Seattle to compete against a formidable set of opponents, including #1 New Mexico, #7 Fairleigh Dickinson, and #15 Washington. Now the road-weary Badgers, 2-4 over the span of their last six games, are ready to return to Madison, where it has not lost in two contests.
\It was a rough weekend, disappointing,"" said junior defender/midfielder Frank Iaizzo. ""But I think we're ready to rebound and [tonight] is definitely a big game for us.""
Northern Illinois should be high on confidence in the wake of their recent 1-0 win over St. Louis. It was the Huskies' first win in eleven tries against SLU. Junior goalie Steve Goletz posted his second straight shutout, and is allowing a paltry .66 goals per game. Offensively, junior Chris VanDuerm leads NIU with three goals.
The revenge factor will also be in play tonight. Although the Badgers own a 14-8-0 all time record against the Huskies, Northern Illinois had the upper hand in the last meeting, a hairbreadth 1-0 victory in DeKalb, Illinois.
Assistant coach Jon Szczepanski cited several reasons why Wisconsin feels some urgency in this game. ""It's hugely important to get a win, for several reasons. They beat us last year at their place. It's a regional game, and it's a game that we feel if we play well, we'll give ourselves a good chance to win.""
On the injury front, junior goalkeeper Jake Settle continues to recover from a concussion. Settle sustained the injury in the second half of the Badgers' 2-1 double overtime loss against Washington Friday night. Sophomore Mike Hood stepped up nicely in Settle's absence, playing the bulk of the game Friday, then making his first collegiate start Sunday night against Portland. Hood made seven saves and allowed one goal in a hard luck 1-0 loss.
""If he's able to go, we're going to feel very comfortable with Jake playing,"" said Szczepanski, the assistant coach. ""If he can't, Mike will do a great job as he did in Portland. It looks like he's going to be able to go, but it's not 100 percent.""
After a 2-0 start to the season at the Big Toe Soccer Invitational in Madison, the Badgers headed east for the UW-Milwaukee Panther Classic. The team split its two contests, losing to highly ranked Fairleigh Dickinson and defeating Oakland. It was then off to the New Mexico Tournament. Once again, Wisconsin split. New Mexico, the top team in the nation, dealt them a 3-2 loss. But the Badgers then staved off Butler in a 1-0 shutout.
The trip came to an end last weekend in Seattle with losses against Washington and Portland. Back at home, it is high time for Wisconsin to pull out a victory.
""We have a lot to prove here,"" said Iaizzo. ""We feel we're the better team.""
