The Wisconsin men's soccer team will hit the road Wednesday to face Northern Illinois in DeKalb in one of two non-conference battles before the Badgers begin postseason play.
Despite a 1-4-1 record in the Big Ten, the Badgers are riding a two game winning streak and sitting at No. 31 in the Ratings Percentage Index. Successful results in the next two games and in the conference tournament could propel Wisconsin to the NCAA Tournament.
These two [contests] are very, very important games,"" head coach Jeff Rohrman said. ""Both of these games have big implications for the postseason.""
Northern Illinois is 8-3-4 this season and 3-1-1 in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies are coming off a 1-0 win over Bowling Green.
""Northern Illinois is one of the top teams in the region,"" Rohrman said. ""If you extend the rankings out to 30, they're right there. It would be a great win if we could get it.""
Wisconsin routed Northern Illinois last season in Madison with a 4-0 victory, but wins in DeKalb have eluded the Badgers. Wisconsin has lost its last five games against the Huskies on the road.
""Last year we were fortunate to get a couple goals early [against them],"" Rohrman said. ""They play high-energy, high-pace soccer [and have] very good wide players that can attack one versus one.""
Northern Illinois' fast-paced style is amplified by its artificial-surface playing field at the Huskie Soccer Complex.
""It's going to be faster than we're used to,"" Rohrman said. ""[But] we'll always get a pure bounce. There's never a question mark on the ball.""
Wisconsin, despite the tough task ahead, should remain confident because of the excellent team and individual play they have gotten lately. The Badgers defeated UW-Green Bay on Oct. 20, two days after falling at Ohio State.
""On a very quick turnaround, the guys showed great resiliency in coming back and playing a complete game,"" Rohrman said.
Six days later, Wisconsin beat Penn State 4-1 for its first and only conference win. The Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but Wisconsin came out strong in the second half.
""We were hoping to get a tie at halftime but we responded well in the second half,"" Rohrman said.
The Badgers will look to receive more offensive firepower from senior forward Victor Diaz, whose four points last week earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
""The way we're playing now really suits [Diaz],"" Rohrman said. ""He's bringing guys into play, getting guys involved.""
The Badgers will also rely on junior forward Scott Lorenz, who tallied a goal against Penn State. Lorenz leads the squad with eight goals and 19 points.
Freshman midfielder Brad Horton leads the Huskies with six goals this season. Senior midfielder Drew Jeskey and junior forward Ben Thomas have added three goals for a Northern Illinois team that has outscored its opponents this year 24-16.
