The Wisconsin men's soccer team (4-2-1, 0-1-0 Big Ten) and head coach Jeff Rohrman welcome Michigan (5-2-1 overall) this Saturday for their conference home opener at the McClimon Soccer Complex.
Despite their loss last week to Indiana, the Badgers have not by any means given up hope for possession of the Big Ten title.
Last week against Indiana, the Hoosiers took control of the game twice during regulation, but both their runs were short-lived. The Badgers fought back with constant pressure and forced them into overtime. At just over three minutes into the extra session, the Badgers surrendered a goal, allowing No. 14 Indiana a 3-2 victory.
We need to get back on track,"" Rohrman said. ""At Indiana we deserved a tie, if not better. A win against Michigan would help us regain momentum and get back in contention for the Big Ten title.""
Although his team has been preparing all week for Michigan, Rohrman knows this game will not be easy.
""Michigan is very good, and they have seasoned guys who are shutting teams down,"" Rohrman said. ""They are an older, more experienced team. They have three guys up front scoring five goals a piece. On top of that, they have Michael Holiday, Julian Robles and Alex Morisset, who are steady, skilled players in back. They play well on both sides, like Indiana.""
In practice this week, Rohrman emphasized working on coordination and concentration.
""Although our defense against Indiana was good, we had a couple of lapses in concentration that cost us,"" Rohrman siad. ""We have to be better in terms of coordination, understanding and timing.""
The Badgers will take on Michigan at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the McClimon Soccer Complex. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the game.
""Against Indiana, all of our players stepped up,"" Rohrman said. ""We had a couple of lapse moments, but against Michigan we are going to play a more complete game and do a better job in terms of attack.""
