The game doesn’t end until the clock strikes zero.
During the 50th anniversary celebration of Wisconsin men’s soccer, No. 8 Wisconsin scored a last second equalizer against No. 3 Ohio State in an unbelievable and improbable ending on Friday.
With just five minutes remaining in the game, it looked like the top-10 clash between No. 3 Ohio State and No. 8 Wisconsin was headed for a draw. Just a minute later, Ohio State scored off a shot from the top of the box by sophomore midfielder Aaron Hurge.
The Badgers played until the very last second. With less than 20 seconds to go, a cross of desperation by Wisconsin was headed to the top of the box — and right to the feet of junior midfielder Matthew Zachemski — who curled a shot into the right corner of the goal.
What was a tie for the Badgers felt more like a win, especially after a last-second goal that caused a crowd of 1,329 — the largest since 2024 — to erupt and celebrate through the night.
Both teams entered this game with undefeated records, setting up a big test for each team’s first conference game. This was the first time the Badgers played a top 10 team while also being ranked in the top-10 since 1996 when they played No. 2 Creighton and tied 0-0.
“I think we prepared in the best way possible,” Wisconsin goalkeeper Judewellin Michel said. “We did a lot of scouting on the opposing team. We knew it was not going to be an easy game, but we were well prepared.”
According to Zachemski, some of the things the team practiced throughout the week in preparation for this game included defending the size and speed of the Buckeyes up front and trying to take the right center back off the ball.
Both teams came close to scoring in the first half. The Badgers nearly got on the board in minute 30 when senior forward Markie Hrvojevic hit a powerful shot that was saved for a corner kick. The Buckeyes also came close to scoring after a save by Michel bounced back into the box before going out for a corner.
After a Buckeye player fell down in the box late in minute 80, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology awarded Ohio State a penalty. However, Michel came up with another fantastic save by correctly diving to his left.
“A lot of the credit has to come to our goalkeeper coach who did a lot of scouting…I just had to respect the scouting that he did, and I went to the right side, and I'm really happy with the result,” Michel said.
Although Michel said conceding a goal late in the game was a tough blow, he emphasized the importance of moving forward and staying confident as a team.
“Something special is happening with this team, and we wanna do great this year,” Michel said. “So I think we just need to believe, because once you believe, everything is possible.”
Zachemski said the team knew they had to create chances in the attacking third in the final couple minutes.
Wisconsin asked VAR to review a potential penalty in their favor with 2:09 remaining. Although this one didn’t play out in their favor either, Zachemski said the break in play benefited the Badgers by giving them time to reset.
In the final sequence of the game, Zachemski said he originally thought he was going to have to shoot on his first touch before a defender closed out on him. However, the spin on the ball forced him to be patient and get a better shot off.
Zachemski said the emotions of the final seconds and scoring the game-tying goal was “amazing,” especially with the high attendance and in front of the alumni.
“It was just really happy to be honest, almost crying, being able to celebrate with my dad in the corner,” Zachemski said. “He came over, but it was a really good feeling, and just really happy to be able to dig out the result in front of all the fans.”
Friday marked the 50th anniversary of Wisconsin men's soccer, where the team and fans celebrated the program’s history and alumni who joined the team on the field and in their huddle before the game.
“It's our 50th anniversary here as a Badger, so we're playing for a lot of people. We're not only playing for ourselves; we're playing for them,” Zachemski said. “So that really motivated us before the game.”
Wisconsin is now ranked No. 7 in the nation, their highest mark since 1996. The Badgers' schedule only gets harder from here as they will travel to College Park to take on the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins on Sep. 18.
“Next game is not going to be easier because Maryland is even better ranked,” Michel said. “So it's also not an easy place to play. So it's going to be a quick turnaround. We have to put our heads down, recover first of all, and be ready and mature enough to get to work.”
