In the 31st installment of the ""I-94 rivalry"" the Badgers and UWM Panthers drove straight into a head-on collision Wednesday night at the McClimon Soccer Complex. It took 110 minutes to clean up the wreckage, but when the dust finally settled after the second overtime, the score remained deadlocked at 2-2.
""As anyone would have predicted, it was a battle,"" UW head coach Jeff Rohrman said. ""It was a great college game. It had excitement and drama and everything else.""
The Panthers pounced on the Badgers early, scoring the game's first goal in the ninth minute. Junior Steve Bode booted Craig Mallace's free kick in front of the Badger goal where Zeke Dombrowski headed the ball into the back of the net.
Wisconsin had offensive opportunities in the first half, but could not get the big kick to knot up the score.
Undeterred by the opening period struggles, the Badgers capitalized on a UWM penalty in the Panthers' goal box early in the second half. Sophomore defender Zack Lambo put the Badgers on the scoreboard when he sent the penalty kick into the right corner of the Panther goal.
In a game featuring the fierce competition and physical play of a heavyweight prizefight, UWM got up off the canvas and delivered a quick counter-punch. Less than two minutes after UW tied the game, Panther midfielder Chris Lins headed Travis Phillips' corner kick into the Badger net.
As the game continued, tempers flared and both teams racked up the fouls.
""That's just the rivalry with them,"" said senior captain Aaron Hohlbein.
""We have a grudge against each other, and it shows on the field. It got a little chippy, but that's the way this game usually goes,"" he added.
Despite the Panthers' physical play, UW stayed on the attack, and in the 86th minute, Hohlbein provided some late game heroics.
Freshman sensation Pablo Delgado passed his corner kick in to William Bagayoko. The senior then lofted a high cross and Hohlbein headed it home for a 2-2 tie.
""Pablo saw the early corner and ‘Bags,' played it in and I ... just saw it at the last second and put my head on it,"" Hohlbein said.
Wisconsin had four shots in the two overtimes, but solid defensive play by the Panthers kept the score at two apiece.
""Our guys stayed focused and I thought we were the better team in the overtime, and I thought possibly we could get the game, but we'll take a tie any day,"" Rohrman said.
After tying the Panthers, the Badgers (1-0 Big Ten, 4-3-1 overall) look to down the Michigan State Spartans this Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. Although Wisconsin defeated MSU 3-2 in OT last season, the Spartans (0-1, 6-2) will be looking for revenge and their first conference victory.
Tallying five goals in the Spartans' first eight contests, Kenzo Webster has established himself as MSU's main offensive threat. Matt Kreikemeier scored Michigan State's lone goal in a 1-0 win at Bowling Green on Wednesday.
With a tough conference test on the horizon, the Badgers seemed confident they could recover quickly from Wednesday's emotional rivalry.
""It's a big one for us. We're 1-0 right now, but we want to keep the streak going and get another win there,"" Hohlbein said.
""I know Michigan State is going to be a quality side,"" Rohrman said. ""We know what they're going to bring at us and I think the guys are looking forward to it.""
The Badgers' quest to stay undefeated in Big Ten play begins on the road Sunday at 1 p.m.
