Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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More Leatherneck football for UW

Fresh off of its convincing victory over Northwestern this past Sunday, the Wisconsin men's soccer team (6-3-2, 2-0-1 Big Ten) faces off against a strong Western Illinois squad (7-4-0, 2-1-0 Mid-Con) today at the McClimon Soccer Complex.

With Sunday's win, the Badgers extended their Big Ten unbeaten streak and claimed their position atop the conference standings with seven points.

In addition to snatching the top spot in the Big Ten, Wisconsin also climbed into the National Rankings for the first time since 2002. The Badgers are ranked 22nd in both the Soccer America Men's Top 25 and the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 Coaches Poll. Even more remarkable, Wisconsin has not been ranked in the month of October since 1996.

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Just as impressive, Western Illinois has won its last four matches, shutting out each opponent and outscoring them 14-0. While Wisconsin head coach Jeff Rohrman admits the Leathernecks have an extraordinary shutout streak going, he believes the feat will spark energy in his squad.

"[Western Illinois's] defense is going to be hard to get behind and penetrate because I think they're going to get their shape very quickly and get numbers behind the ball," Rohrman said. "Our guys know that they've shut out their last four opponents, you know, they like those challenges and they've met and risen to those challenges all through the season and I know they're excited to get going."

One challenge the Badgers will definitely have to contain is the scoring prowess of freshman sensation Martin Browne. In the Leatherneck's recent four-match win streak, Browne scored seven goals — including a hat-trick and two assists against Western Michigan, bringing his team-leading point total to 18.

"Browne is a very athletic, skillful and creative guy who can get behind you, but who can also beat you in front on the dribble or through combinations," Rohrman said. "He's a very, very good player, and we definitely have to shut things down for him and make it a long day."

Two Badgers whom Rohrman will definitely rely on to contain the Leatherneck attack are senior defender and senior goalkeeper Hamid Afsari and Jake Settle, respectively. Afsari has been named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for his fine play lately, while Settle has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for anchoring the Badgers to a pair of shutout victories this past week.

"[The awards] are certainly a credit to those two," Rohrman said. "This whole season, they've been a part of our back line that has really limited teams, as far as opportunities and goals, and they've been two of the staples of our back five. Both of them have been a big part of why we've been so successful and it's nice to get some of those accolades and honors that are certainly well-deserved based on the performances they've been having."

Settle's counterpart, Western Illinois goalkeeper Stephen Paterson, has also been equally impressive lately. The 6-foot, 170-pound freshman from Thunder Bay, Ontario, leads the Mid-Continental Conference in shutouts with five.

In order to break Paterson's streak, the Badgers will look to utilize open space behind the Leatherneck defense, while also employing their first-rate athleticism.

"My hope is that we can exploit them in some wide spaces," Rohrman said. "I think we're an athletic enough team where we might be able to use our athleticism to our advantage. We have to be good in transition so that we're not dealing with trying to go through eleven players."

Although tonight's matchup with Western Illinois may seem unimportant compared to next weekend's Big Ten showdown with Ohio State, Rohrman insists the non-conference games matter just as much to his squad.

"It's very important," Rohrman said. "And in terms of non-conference games, we really have to do well there — we can do all we want in the Big Ten, but if we don't take care of business in terms of the non-conference regional match-ups, that's going to be a big letdown. So far, we've done pretty well there. I know the guys are excited to get another win, though."

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