Through two games, the Badgers (0-2-0 overall) have yet to find the back of the net this season. As they embark on the first match of a four-game road trip, they’ll look to both get on the board and get in the win column Friday against a Santa Clara (0-2-0) squad that is also scoreless in two games.
Despite the disappointing result its last time out, Wisconsin played No. 19 Xavier (2-0-0), a team that advanced to the Elite Eight a season ago, close for the entire 90 minutes in an encouraging match for the young squad.
“We have great players. I think there's no question that it's a talented group of players,” head coach John Trask said after the loss. “It's just this continued maturity that we need to promote within the group.”
While the Badgers are led by a group of four seniors, they’ll need to rely on the growth of 12 sophomores to improve on last season’s 3-12-3, 0-7-1 Big Ten finish. The trio of All-Freshman team selections from a year ago, midfielder Mike Catalano as well as forwards Tom Barlow and Mark Segbers, headline that group of young contributors.
The Broncos are also looking to rebound this season after going 6-9-4 overall in 2014-’15. On the defensive end, they’re led by senior goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh, a 2014 All-WCC Second Team selection who has already recorded 12 saves on the season. The Badgers will also have to contain sophomore forward Carlos Delgadillo, who paced the Broncos last season with four goals and five assists for a team-leading 13 points.
Though Wisconsin has yet to break through offensively, Catalano is off to a strong start thus far. The sophomore has led the Badgers in shots on goal in each of the opening two matches after notching just five on net all of last season.
The Badgers will stay in California for a match against UC Davis before flying across the country to open up Big Ten play against Rutgers next week. It may take time for it all to come together this year, but Trask is hoping the Badgers can figure it out over the two-game west coast swing.
“We really feel like this team is going to come together, hopefully by the time we start Big Ten play," Trask said.
Kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
