Wisconsin men’s soccer dropped their second conference game at No. 8 Michigan State 3-0 on Sep. 25 after the Badgers came from behind to tie No. 2 Indiana 1-1 on Sep. 22,.
The team was able to get a much-needed conference point later at No. 15 Washington with a 0-0 tie on Oct. 2.
The Badgers’ two most recent games marked a continuing streak of five ranked conference games in a row — three of which were on the road.
Badgers fall 3-0 in East Lansing
Against the Spartans, the game remained scoreless through most of the first half. However, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review in the 35th minute gave Sophomore Midfielder Aidan Martinez a red card and put the Badgers at a disadvantage with a man down.
The momentum quickly turned against the Badgers. They gave up two goals in the last three minutes of the first half and managed to concede a third one less than five minutes into the second half.
Michigan State outshot Wisconsin 17 to six and had seven corner kicks compared to the Badgers’ one. The Badgers had a chance to get on the board with a penalty kick in the 67th minute, but Junior Midfielder Matthew Zachemski missed it high and wide.
This game marked the first time all season the Badgers gave up more than one goal.
Team draws third conference tie in west coast trip
Following a week of rest, Wisconsin traveled west to Seattle to take on the reigning national champion Washington Huskies.
Both teams committed numerous fouls this game — 20 for Washington and 19 for Wisconsin, showcasing the usual intensity of Big Ten games.
The Huskies suffered an early setback in the 31st minute when Washington Goalkeeper Stockton Short was awarded a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity to Wisconsin Forward Markie Hrvojevic. Nonetheless, the Huskies put heavy pressure on the Badgers’ defense in the second half and fired ten shots. The Badgers had only five shots, with one on target, all game.
Wisconsin struggled to create scoring opportunities on set pieces with just one corner kick and failed to take advantage of being a man up for nearly two-thirds of the game.
Zachemski had three of the team’s five shots and the only shot on target during the entirety of the match. In the 59th minute, his shot nearly put the Badgers on the board but instead bounced off the left post.
Sophomore Goalkeeper Judewellin Michel had a solid outing with five saves and his fourth shutout of the season.
Wisconsin relied heavily on its starters in this match, playing seven of them for all 90 minutes — compared to the game against Michigan State, where only one starter played the full time.
Despite that, Wisconsin was unable to score a goal, even being a man-up for most of the contest. This also highlights Wisconsin’s recent offensive struggles, as the Badgers have scored only two goals in their last five matches.
The Badgers are still looking for their first conference win and will have a chance to do so when they host the No. 22 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at McMillan Soccer Complex on Oct. 10.
