The weekend started on an high at the University of Illinois-Chicago Classic for the Wisconsin men’s soccer team (5-1-1 overall) with a 5-1 win against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (0-6-1) Friday.
The goal-scoring frenzy took 32 minutes to begin, but senior forward Chris Prince slotted home the opening goal. Prince, just coming off an injury, has only appeared in two games this season.
Junior midfielder Jacob Brindle doubled the lead only two minutes later with a shot from the top of the box.
Three second-half goals by senior forward Nick Janus, freshman forward Skyler Felt and redshirt senior forward Derek Pitts sealed the deal for Wisconsin.
The Badgers outshot the Mastodons 17-4 and 21 players got playing time Friday.
Freshman goalkeeper Casey Beyers gave up no goals in 72 minutes of play and had two saves.
Senior goalkeeper Max Jentsch gave up one goal in the final 18 minutes.
Head coach John Trask returned to the school at which he coached at from 2005-2009. He won two Horizon League Coach of the Year awards at UIC in 2006 and 2008. Trask became the coach for the Badgers in 2010.
Wisconsin was quickly brought down to earth with its first loss on the season against Gonzaga (4-1-0) 2-0 Sunday.
A penalty goal given up 21 minutes into the game was not the start the Badgers needed.
The second goal for the Bulldogs was added in the 68th minute.
Gonzaga outshot Wisconsin 9-6 (6-3 on target) despite the Badgers having four corner kicks and the Bulldogs having none.
Wisconsin has only trailed at three points this season, this being the only time UW stayed down. The Badgers came back to tie their opening game 1-1 against the University of MissouriKansas City and came back to win against DePaul 3-2 (OT) with redshirt senior Tomislav Zadro’s last-second-in-regulation equalizing goal.
On the plate next for Wisconsin is the Big Ten opener at Penn State Sept. 29.
