As their season grinds to a close, the Wisconsin men's soccer team will look back on a term that promised much at the outset but ultimately ended up in disappointment.
Last Thursday's 3-1 loss to Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals marked the fourth straight year since 2004 that the Badgers have gone one-and-out.
As the team bids goodbye to seniors Nick Caronna, B.J. Goodman, Dirk Pearson, Sho Fujita and Erik Ortega, what's left for them is to look ahead to next year.
Men's head coach Jeff Rohrman felt that there were plenty of plus points to take from this season's performances.
We showed a lot of promise from the way we played in September and the wins we had,"" Rohrman said. ""The backline, for the most part, was really good, and the midfield showed some positive signs as well.""
The Badgers began their season with a bang as they took home the Cal Legacy Classic in early September.
A 1-0 victory against then-ranked No. 20 Gonzaga followed, accompanied by a sense that this team truly possessed the ability to take on the top teams around the country.
But the Badgers were brought down to earth again in their next match with a loss to Drake. From that point on, the season became one of ups-and-downs, as the Badgers were unable to put together another sustained run of wins.
Wisconsin closed out September with five wins, three losses and two ties but fared worse in October, managing only one win in seven games.
The Badgers were plagued first by their inability to win after falling behind, and then by an inability to kill off the game after taking the lead.
""We had several games that got away from us,"" Rohrman said. ""We were playing well but couldn't convert our performances into wins.""
Injuries also played a part in the Badgers' decline, as the team had to cope with several players being sidelined for every game.
After a morale-boosting tie with Big Ten regular season champions Indiana in their final home game on Nov. 4, the Badgers headed to the Big Ten Tournament ,where they were dispatched 3-1 in the opening quarterfinal by Northwestern.
That defeat gave the Badgers a 6-7-6 record to end the season. But Rohrman is already looking to next season, and he expects much from his current crop of players.
""We have a good group of players coming back,"" Rohrman said. ""These guys have built a good understanding, they know what is expected of them, and they've set high standards for themselves.""
Rohrman singled out freshman defender Aaron Nichols, who was named on the Big Ten all-freshman team, as one who impressed in the present campaign. When playing defense, Nichols showed a composure and steadiness that belied his experience.
Fellow freshman Cale Cooper also shined when called upon, while sophomore Taylor Waspi was a revelation in center defense.
One area that Rohramn felt the team had to improve on was in offense, where he said there was an over-reliance on mercurial junior forward Victor Diaz.
""We need to find another scoring threat who can get us four, five, six goals a year,"" Rohrman said. ""We need more guys to step up.""
Diaz's performances are another reason for the Badgers to be optimistic about next season. He led the Badgers with 16 points and eight assists, and was named in the first-team All-Big Ten selection for the first time in his career.
With a season of experience under their belt, the likes of Nichols and Cooper can only improve for next year.
""I'm really excited about working with the guys in post season,"" Rohrman said.
