The UW Men's Soccer Team (3-0-0 Big Ten, 7-5-2 overall) will have short time to prepare for their next contest after their loss to Green Bay on Wednesday night. The Badgers will face the Northwestern Wildcats (2-0-1, 7-4-3), the second-place team in the Big Ten Conference, on Sunday in Evanston, Ill. at 1 p.m.
Northwestern is no joke and could quickly become Wisconsin's hardest game of the year thus far. Sure, Indiana was tough, but the red and white played that game at home. They will have to travel for their second straight road game to an environment where the Wildcats are clearly more than comfortable, boasting a record of 5-1-1.
Not only are they outstanding at home, their one loss came Aug. 26th in the season opener. Northwestern is also riding a three game win streak as well as victories in four of their last five.
What will be vital to Wisconsin's success? Scoring in the first period. The Wildcats have scored nine goals in the first half this year, but have given up just three. They have ,however, given up nine goals in the second period scoring only eight. If Wisconsin can tally one in the first 45, they could have a chance to beat Northwestern, assuming they do not give any up. Wisconsin will not only have difficulty scoring on the staunch first-half defense of Northwestern, it seems that they may even run into problems getting shots off. If Wisconsin imitates anything close to the first half of the Green Bay game—they recorded zero shots in the half—they will be in a huge hole, as the Wildcats give up only half as many shots in the first half as they take.
The Wisconsin defense will have to watch out for senior forward Oliver Kupe. Kupe has scored six goals this season so far, twice as many as anyone else on the team. Simply looking at size, Kupe has an advantage; At 6-feet-3 and 185 pounds. it is no wonder he is hard to stop.
The Badgers might have the perfect match for this threat, as AJ Cochran, Wisconsin's star freshman defender, will likely match up against Kupe, who stands as tall as Cochran.
Wisconsin will need to strike early to have any hope of winning this game. This will be Wisconsin's second road game in the Big Ten, the first resulting in a win against Michigan in a rather hostile environment, but this one is different. This one will prove whether Wisconsin belongs atop the Big Ten standings. Oh, and to make stakes higher, the winner of this game will have outright control of the Big Ten Conference.
