With their season on the line, Wisconsin was unable to record its first win in Big Ten play all year. In the first round of the Big Ten tournament, the Badgers (0-8-1 Big Ten, 3-12-3 overall) fell to Rutgers (2-6-1, 6-11-1) by a score of 5-2.
While the other seven teams had byes to the quarterfinals, the ninth and eighth seeded Badgers and Scarlet Knights played for the right to advance to face the regular season conference champions Maryland.
Rutgers opened up the scoring in the 19th minute as redshirt junior defender Thomas O’Rourke was able to beat the Badger goalie by the post.
Just before the end of the half, the Scarlet Knights made it a 2-0 game on a 44th minute goal from senior midfielder Nate Bruccoleri.
In total, Rutgers was able to fire off 13 shots in the first half, including seven on net, compared to just five from the Badgers.
Both teams came out of the halftime break recharged and ready to go offensively, leading to a flurry of goals early in the second half.
Already up by a pair of goals, Rutgers continued attacking and shot yet another goal in the 60th minute off of freshman forward Jason Wright’s team-leading ninth of the season. Just over three minutes later, the Badgers were able to get on the board and back into the game when their own freshman star, forward Mark Segbers, snuck one in to bring Wisconsin back within two.
Any momentum or hope of a comeback was quickly eliminated. Only one minute after Segbers’ goal, junior midfielder Mitchell Taintor scored off a free kick from 20 yards out to once again increase the Scarlet Knight lead to three.
The action and scoring continued, with Wright netting his second goal about ten minutes after his first one to make it 5-1. Wisconsin would switch goalies, taking out redshirt sophomore Casey Beyers and putting in freshman Adrian Remeniuk, but the damage had already been done.
The Badgers were able to add another goal, as senior midfielder Jacob Brindle, playing in his final collegiate game, picked up his second assist of the day as he set up freshman forward Tom Barlow to pull the Badgers back within three in the 83rd minute.
While Rutgers will move on to face Maryland Sunday, a disappointing season will come to a close for the Badgers. A season after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years, the Badgers struggled to make up for the loss of over 10 players from 2013’s squad.
With strong play from the freshman all season, and only losing three seniors, the Badgers will hope for a bounce back next year.
