The eighth time is a charm for the Wisconsin men's soccer team (0-4-1 Big Ten. 3-12-2 overall). Entering Wednesday night's contest, the Badgers had gone into overtime seven times. In those seven games, Wisconsin went 0-5-2, not exactly the results a team wishes for.
When the Badgers entered overtime for the eighth time this season Wednesday night, a winning result against the University of Illinois-Chicago (3-4-0 Horizon League, 7-10-0 overall) seemed unlikely.
Prior to the extra session, the Badgers and Flames played 90 minutes of scoreless soccer. From the opening whistle, neither team looked as though it wanted to win the game. As the game progressed, however, it became evident that possession was the key to both teams' game plans.
Wisconsin came into the night with the intent to control the ball defensively and in the midfield while looking for opportunities to send the ball forward on the attack. This philosophy is one that head coach John Trask has instilled and employed wherever he has coached.
Before arriving at Madison, Trask was the head coach at UIC. It came as no surprise, then, that UIC played with the same defense-first style.
""Our defensive shape was pretty much the same,"" UW freshman midfielder Paul Yonga said.
""They like to possess the ball and hold it, play less direct,"" freshman midfielder Joey Tennyson said. ""That's what we like to do too.""
Despite a relatively slow paced game, both sides created solid goal scoring opportunities. After playing nearly nine minutes of back- and-forth possession, UIC broke into the UW defense. The Flames were able to get a good shot off, but on good effort by freshman keeper Max Jentsch, the ball was directed wide and out of play.
The Badgers nearly netted a goal just over a minute later. On a free kick just outside of the box, Tennyson was able to wrap the ball over the defensive wall, but put it just over the crossbar. Freshman forward Chris Prince also had his chance at a goal, putting a low shot toward the net that would go just wide with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
The second half was much the same for both sides. Tennyson ripped a shot off that missed just wide to the right five minutes into the second half. The Badgers also put up some threats on set pieces, including a header off the post on a corner kick and a header blocked on the line following a free kick.
Neither side converted, though, resulting in a school-record eighth overtime appearance for UW. However, this time it was different as the Badgers ultimately celebrated a victory.
Following a pair a nicely time slide tackles to keep the ball in UIC's half, Yonga dished the ball off to junior defender Colin Mani, who played the one-two back to Yonga. He sent the ball through the center of the box, where it found the feet Tennyson who buried it in the back corner, giving the UIC keeper no chance at a save.
""I didn't know what else to do with the ball,"" Yonga said. ""I heard a scream from my left, I just played the ball through and luckily Joey was there.""
""It felt great,"" said Tennyson. ""We needed an overtime win.""
Trask, who defeated his former squad despite an overall disappointing season, said he expects to finish the season strong.
""It's huge,"" Trask said. ""This is going to help us with confidence going into Penn State.""
