The Wisconsin men's soccer team lost to No. 14 Indiana in overtime Sunday in their Big Ten opener.
The Badgers fell behind in the 36th minute on a goal by Hoosier Brian Ackley. Wisconsin junior Scott Lorenz scored four minutes later on a pass from teammate Bryan Gerster. Lorenz was 15 yards out when he blasted Gerster's pass through a cluster of players in front of the net. The goal was Lorenz's third this season.
Indiana scored first after the break. In the 66th minute, Neil Wilmarth fired a shot past Wisconsin's junior goalkeeper Alex Horwath, putting the Hoosiers up 2-1.
The Badgers responded quickly, and 38 seconds later junior midfielder Taylor Waspi scored his second goal of the season when he headed in a free kick from junior Pablo Delgado.
The game was delayed for almost an hour after Waspi's goal because of lightning in the area. Wisconsin head coach Jeff Rohrman said he thought the team handled the break well.
The biggest challenge with a break in the action like that is not just the physical part but the mental part,"" he said. ""I thought they responded well to [the delay], and we had a couple of our best chances after the break.""
In the 77th minute, the Badgers had a chance to go ahead, but were denied when Lorenz's header hit the post.
""I thought we did a good job when we had the opportunity to put a ball in there,"" Rohrman said. ""When you're playing someone like Indiana, it's going to come down to one or two moments where you might have a chance.""
The teams were tied 2-2 as regulation ended. A little over three minutes into extra time IU's Eric Alexander scored off a cross from Neil Wilmarth, and the game ended.
Rohrman said losing the game was hard, especially because the Badgers kept it close against their toughest Big Ten competition.
""We weren't fortunate enough to come away with a draw and it still stings to lose, even when you play pretty well against a good opponent like Indiana,"" he said.
Rohrman also said he was proud the Badgers came back after both of Indiana's goals.
""The work ethic, grit and determination the guys showed was fantastic,"" he said.
Lorenz said the team's resiliency and determination are important characteristics to have when you're playing powerhouse teams like Indiana.
""We're a team that can respond well and that's something you can't teach,"" he said.
Lorenz said, though the loss is hard, the Badgers will move forward and use it as fuel for the rest of the season.
- uwbadgers.com
contributed to this report.
