Call it an upset of epic proportions. Call it a coming of age game for a team on the rise. Or just call it an ordinary 1-0 victory.
Sparked by great defensive play, Wisconsin (5-3-2, 1-0-1 Big Ten) smothered the previously undefeated No. 7 University of Illinois-Chicago Flames (7-1-2, 1-0-0 Horizon) Thursday night at the McClimon Soccer Complex.
""It's a great win,"" said Badger head coach Jeff Rohrman. ""It wasn't a particularly pretty win, but it was a win nonetheless.""
The victory marks the Badgers' first win over a top-10 opponent since UW defeated No. 9 Penn State 4-3 in 2004.
""We played a great team tonight,"" Rohrman said. ""They're a team to be reckoned with and they're going to be in the tournament. There's no doubt in my mind.""
The Badgers tallied the game's only goal in the 18th minute when sophomore Zack Lambo launched his free kick from 35 yards toward the UIC goal. Freshman forward Eric Conklin slipped past the Flames' defenders and headed Lambo's kick into the bottom left corner of the goal.
""In practice we've been practicing that same scenario when Lambo's been curling the ball in to either me or [Aaron] Hohlbein, and in the game it was just the exact same thing,"" Conklin said. ""He played me a good ball and the guy in front of me misjudged it and I just directed it toward the goal.""
UW continually squelched the Flames' offensive charges in the first half. When senior forward Brodey Simkins cut down the right sideline Wisconsin goalkeeper Jake Settle slid and blocked the shot to preserve the Badgers' lead.
Hohlbein, Hamid Afsari, Andrew Cardona and Nick Caronna stopped the Flames' high-powered offense every time UIC closed in on the Badger net. The effort helped UW notch its fifth shutout of the season.
""They definitely kept the pressure on us,"" Hohlbein said. ""I think as a team, collectively, we defended very hard and didn't give them any quality chances.""
For most of the second half the Flames kept the ball on Wisconsin's side of the field, but the Badgers refused to relinquish the lead.
On one Flame corner kick, Settle batted the ball away from the goal and Hohlbein leaped high in the crowded goal box to head the ball back down the field.
""I give our guys credit ... when they had to roll their sleeves up and grind out a 1-0 win, and we weren't particularly on our best tonight, I give them a ton of credit,"" Rohrman said.
Although the Badger head coach said he ""doesn't categorize"" his victories, he admitted the win ranks high on his list of W's at Wisconsin.
""It didn't matter which 11 were on the field battling it out. We had 14, 15 guys standing and cheering and yelling and inspiring those guys to continue to push on.""
Wisconsin's next challenge will come on Sunday afternoon when they take on the Northwestern Wildcats (8-2-0, 1-1-0) at the friendly confines of the McClimon Soccer Complex.
""Big Ten games are always tough, and we know Northwestern is a good team, so we're excited for that game,"" Hohlbein said.
While the Badgers look to stay undefeated in conference play, Settle said Thursday night's win could act as a springboard for the men in cardinal and white.
""Something big is going to happen. I don't know what, but something big,"" Settle said.
So maybe it wasn't an ordinary 1-0 victory after all.
