An unusual feeling came across the UW men's soccer squad Wednesday night.
The Badgers battled to the end for just their third win of the season in a 1-0 decision against inter-state opponent Milwaukee.
The Badgers (0-5-0 Big Ten, 3-9-2 overall) have not lost to the Panthers in the McClimon Complex since 2002 and Wednesday was no exception.
Wisconsin looked sharp defensively and had enough stamina to pull out a win. The go-ahead goal from redshirt junior midfielder Carl Schneider came in the middle of the second half and marked Schneider’s first goal of the season.
"Sometimes when you're not having a good season, this is the kind of game that rallies the guys," said UW head coach John Trask. "It was not a game for the faint of heart. You get to look at your teammates and see which guy is going to be there."
Wisconsin heads out on the road this Saturday to face a tough Penn State team (4-2-0, 10-3-1) who looks to be frontrunner for the Big Ten champion. The Nittany Lions have won the conference five times including each of the past two seasons.
Just a week and a half ago, the Nittany Lions were the No. 3 team in the country with a record of 10-0-1. Since that point however, they have dropped three straight games with two shutouts against them. Two of those losses were against Big Ten opponents Maryland and Michigan State in which they were shut out, 4-0 and 2-0, respectively.
Now ranked No. 12, Penn State has only allowed 11 goals to its opponents this season with the help of nine shutouts. They lead the Big Ten in just about every category imaginable including shots, goals and assists.
Sophomore forward Connor Maloney is leading the Nittany Lions with 20 points on nine goals. Maloney is also the Big Ten leader in points and goals thus far this season. Look for him and redshirt senior Mikey Minutillo to be a force in the middle of the offense as they try to end their drought.
The game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday in University Park, Pennsylvania.
