With UW-Milwaukee out of the way, Head coach Jeff Rohrman and the Wisconsin men's soccer team (0-1 Big Ten, 6-6 overall) must now turn their attention to a strong Penn State team which awaits them in University Park, Pa. The showdown will take place Sunday at noon. In order for the Badgers to beat PSU, they will need to improve on their paltry showing in their conference opener.
Ohio State shut out the Badgers and leading scorer Jed Holbein. The junior forward scored four goals and added six assists this season. He believes the OSU game was an aberration and plans to get back on target against Penn State.
\I just need to play my game and finish the chances I get. When we get our chances, which we will get, we just have to put them away,"" said Holbein.
While the Badgers were beaten in their Big Ten opener against Ohio State, the return of junior goalkeeper Eric Hanson should help bring stability to the squad. Freshman Jake Settle had an excellent two-game performance in relief of Hanson but the junior's experience was conspicuously absent in the two games he missed.
Because the Badgers often use four freshmen on defense, a veteran keeper is essential to keeping the defense together. Rohrman was pleased with Settle's perfomance but maintains that Hanson is his starting keeper.
""Jake should feel very good about his last two performances,"" Rohrman said. ""But Eric is a junior captain of our team and he's got a couple of years more experience. Right now, Eric will be our starter, but on the other side of it, he has to be looking over his shoulder, knowing that there is a good young goalkeeper who is going to push him and challenge him, and I think that is [a] good thing in the big picture.""
Regardless of who is on the field, it will be essential for the Badgers to get their first conference win. Since the team only plays seven conference matches, falling to 0-2 could have a devastating effect.
""It's real important to get [the first conference win]. We can get a little confidence and maybe get on a little roll,"" Rohrman added. ""The thing with the Big Ten is that there is a lot of parity and we are capable of beating anybody ... we've just got to come to play every single day and compete and battle and take advantage of our opportunities. I think we certainly have to get a win [at Penn State].""
The Nittany Lions ended the Badgers season last year as Penn State went on to win the Big Ten Conference Tournament.
""We have nine guys here who remember that ... but nonetheless, Penn State has certainly been a team that over the past four or five years has been a top program, and it's not going to take much to motivate us,"" Rohrman said.
The Wisconsin men's soccer team(6-6, 0-1) knocked off?? UW-Milwaukee (7-4) yesterday afternoon to even their record against in-state competition for the year. Earlier this season the Badgers were bested by UW-Green Bay 1-0, but thanks to a junior forward David Martinez strike, the Badgers were able to secure a 1-0 win of their own in Milwaukee.
Once again, Wisconsin was involved in a low scoring affair as, six of the team's twelve games have been 1-0 contests. Returning to action for the Badgers was junior goalkeeper Eric Hanson, who missed two games due to injury. Hanson turned away six shots and effectively silenced anyone who questioned his hold on the position. The shut out is Hanson's fourth of the season and the fifth overall by the Badgers.
Martinez latched onto a pass from junior forward Nick Van Sicklen and beat UW-Milwaukee junior goalkeeper??Kirk Thode to break the deadlock in the 40th minute. UWM had most of the possession in the first half, but the Badgers young defense held-off the Panthers until Martinez finally scored against the run of play.
In the second half, neither team created much. Wisconsin was content to defend, and UWM was unable to break the Badger's back four down. With the win, the Badgers avoided a second straight loss and in the process, ended the Panthers four-game win streak. The victory could prove invaluable for the fledgling squad, who now head to Penn State in search of their first conference win.
Wednesday's victory marked the first time since 2000 that the Badger men's soccer team knocked off in-state rival UW-Milwaukee.
