After posting back-to-back shutouts on the regular season's first weekend, the Wisconsin men's soccer team gave up six goals in two losses this weekend, losing 3-0 to San Diego on Friday night and 3-2 to San Diego State Sunday afternoon. The Badgers (1-2-1) were in San Diego as a participant in the four-team Courtyard by Marriot San Diego Central Tournament.
On both nights, the Badgers fell victim to penalty-kick goals. In Friday's contest against San Diego (3-0-0), junior midfielder Pablo Delgado received a red card for a foul in the 42nd minute. The Toreros scored on the ensuing penalty kick for the first goal of the night. The penalty and goal came just as Wisconsin seemed to be turning up the heat on offense.
""We were really playing out of it and finding our form late in the first half, and then we had the red card and the PK,"" head coach Todd Yeagley said. ""That was a tough one.""
Forced to play shorthanded for the remainder of the night, the Badgers had to scramble to produce offensive opportunities and left themselves exposed on defense as a result.
""We did some nice things trying to create that equalizer,"" Yeagley said. ""We left ourselves a little vulnerable, though, and those second and third goals came from us trying to claw our way back.""
The Badgers were also hurt by a penalty kick on Sunday afternoon against San Diego State (1-2-1). After allowing a quick goal in the sixth minute, Wisconsin got its first goal of the weekend when senior Taylor Waspi scored in the 24th minute from short range off a set-piece volley from sophomore Austin Spohn.
The Badgers took the lead in the second half when sophomore Ross Seagram tallied his first career collegiate goal on a strike from around the 18-yard box in the 48th minute.
Later, an equalizing goal in the 73rd minute from San Diego State forced Wisconsin into its third overtime match in four games this season.
With just over 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime, a penalty in the box led to a penalty kick goal for Aztec senior Evan Toft, when he scored his second goal of the game and sent the Badgers to their second disappointing loss of the weekend.
With two more assists on Sunday, Spohn upped his season total to three. He has tallied an assist on each goal the Badgers have scored this season. Senior goalkeeper Alex Horwath was removed from Sunday's game because of a finger injury. He would later return to the action and is not likely to miss any playing time.
The Badgers will return to the Midwest for action next weekend, but they will continue their current road trip against two tough teams. Wisconsin will face Oakland on Friday and #6 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday. Both games will be played at UW-Milwaukee as part of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Classic.
—UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
