The downpour in Madison Friday night didn’t just cause rampant puddles across campus, it also created a flood of goals. Wisconsin’s 20-game home unbeaten streak slipped away, as the Badgers (3-2-1 Big Ten, 7-3-3 overall) lost a 5-4 thriller to the No. 3 Maryland Terrapins (5-0-2, 10-0-3).
It started swimmingly for Wisconsin, as senior forward Mark Segbers scored the opener in the eighth minute. Junior defender Enda O’Neil found some space on the left side, crossing a ball into the box where it was met by Segbers for his third goal of the season.
UW’s lead, though, did not to last, as the Badgers conceded a penalty kick that Terps junior midfielder Amar Sejdic converted in the 20th minute. Sejdic scored again in the 36th minute after his shot deflected in, meaning when the halftime whistle blew, Maryland was on top 2-1.
After halftime, the rain got even worse. The field looked more like a slip 'n' slide, and the game got much more chippy and sloppy as the ground became slicker and slicker. The game also was much more prone to big momentum swings thanks to the conditions creating more frequent and costly mistakes.
Wisconsin tied the game up in the 63rd minute, as senior forward Tom Barlow rose to head home a pass by senior midfielder Chris Mueller. Wisconsin looked to have momentum back in its favor.
Then Eryk Williamson took over for the Terps’.
Maryland’s junior midfielder scored a hat trick in only 24 minutes of play, punishing defensive mistakes. Williamson, who is a part of D.C. United’s academy, seemed to not mind the conditions, curling in some beautiful goals. Williamson scored again in the 85th minute, despite the fact the Terps were down a man after senior defender George Campbell was sent off just two minutes earlier.
At 5-2 with the conditions worsening, it would not have been a shock if Wisconsin layed down. The Badgers fought back, though, as Mueller led the comeback charge on senior night. The playmaker scored off a penalty kick in the 88th minute to cut UM’s lead to 5-3. One minute later, junior midfielder Nikola Atlija scored to create a helter skelter final few minutes, as the Badgers trailed by merely a goal.
But it was too little too late for the Badgers after Williamson’s treble. It was his performance that ruined UW’s perfect unbeaten record at home, with his last goal proving to be the game winner.
Williamson made it his night, but Wisconsin’s seniors were celebrated after its last home game. The Badgers close out their regular season with a three-game road trip, starting at Indiana this Saturday.
