The Wisconsin men's soccer team aplit a pair of games at the UC Irvine College Classic this weekend in California. The Badgers downed Santa Clara 2-1 in the opening match on Saturday for their first win of the season before falling to UC Irvine in the game two Monday.
Senior Aaron Nichols scored the first goal of the Badgers' 2010 campaign to lead Wisconsin over the Broncos in the first match.
Wisconsin never trailed in the match and pulled ahead in the 26th minute after Nichols headed freshman Trevor Wheeler's cross into the back of the net to put the Badgers up 1-0. Wisconsin maintained the lead until the 82nd minute, when Santa Clara's Alex Fitschen tied the game 1-1 after capitalizing on a cross down the endline from teammate Murphy Campbell.
With a little help from Santa Clara, the Badgers quickly responded. Less than a minute after the Bronco's goal, Wisconsin freshman Chris Prince played a ball into the box, which then deflected off Santa Clara's Mykell Bates and into the net for an own goal.
Late runs into Wisconsin's defensive third by Santa Clara came to no avail. Senior goalkeeper Ryan Vint and the Badger defense kept the Broncos' furious attacking efforts in the closing minutes at bay to hold onto the 2-1 victory.
Monday night, Wisconsin was unable to recover from early goal and fell to the UC Irvine Anteaters 1-0.
The Anteaters capitalized early, scoring a goal in the 13th minute of the match after a throw-in into the Badgers' penalty area connected with the head of UC Irvine's Corey Attaway, who knocked it past Vint for the goal. The Badgers couldn't find an answer to Attaway's goal, as freshman forward Paul Yonga was the only Wisconsin player to put a shot on goal in the first half.
The Badgers return home with a 1-1 season record as they prepare to face Florida International and Florida Atlantic next weekend.
