There’s a buzz in the air surrounding the Wisconsin men’s soccer program these days. Ever since Jeff Rohrman took over the reins of the Badger program in 2002, optimism has been building. After an 11-10-1 mark last season, Wisconsin is eyeing bigger and better things in 2004.
“There’s just a lot more excitement,” said senior goalkeeper and team captain Eric Hanson. “Everyone’s excited to be here. In the past, it was kind of a drag to be here when August rolled around. Now we’re excited and ready to go.”
As the 2004 season kicks off, that rekindled excitement may be at an all-time high. After an up-and-down 2003 campaign that allowed a large and talented freshman group to cut their teeth in the Big Ten, Rohrman ushered in another skilled and athletic class for the 2004 season.
“I think expectations are going to increase each year, especially with the coaching staff we have,” said senior midfielder Nick Van Sicklen, one of UW’s three captains. “With the players we have in place this year, I think this is going to be — of the past five or six years — the best team to step on the field.”
If the Badgers are to live up to that billing, one area they will need to improve upon is offense, as UW was shut out eight times a year ago. Wisconsin returns a productive finisher in senior forward Jed Hohlbein (nine goals, six assists in 2003), as well as a playmaker in Van Sicklen, but those two cannot carry the load by themselves.
“Certainly some other guys are going to have to step up,” Rohrman said. “We can’t just rely on Nick and Jed. If we do that, we’re going to be a pretty easy team to shut down. We need some other players to step up and contribute, and I think we have some players who are capable of doing that.”
Following the departure of Phil Doeh from the program, UW’s most experienced forward is sophomore Matthew Jelacic. A big target at 6-foot-4, Jelacic tallied two goals in his freshman season.
Part of the goal-scoring responsibilities will fall to the talented Badger midfield. Leading the charge will be seniors Van Sicklen and David Martinez. Martinez is also expected to handle the majority of Wisconsin’s set pieces. Anchoring the group is senior captain Noah Goerlitz, who plays behind Van Sicklen and Martinez, in a defensive midfield role.
“I think that’s definitely going to be our biggest strength,” Goerlitz said of the midfield. “A lot of the guys coming in are midfielders and we had a strong midfield to begin with.”
In addition to the three seniors, the Badger coaching staff will look to sophomores Aaron Witchger and Reid Johnson. Another candidate is freshman B.J. Goodman, a creative and athletic wing from Lake Orion, Mich.
“B.J.’s such a quick, athletic kid,” Rohrman said. “He’s dynamic, he can certainly do things off the dribble. He’s a good passer of the ball. He reads the game well.”
The biggest question marks lie in the Wisconsin backline, where just two of the four spots appear to be claimed. The center back positions are set with sophomores Aaron Hohlbein and Andrew Cardona. Both became defensive fixtures in 2003, making 21 starts and gaining invaluable experience.
“That was huge,” Hohlbein said of the experience gained last season. “Playing a whole season for me, Cardona and a lot of the other guys was big in getting experience and getting used to the college game.”
Hohlbein’s play was impressive enough to garner second-team all-conference accolades, as well as an invite to a U-20 national team training camp. The younger brother of Jed, Hohlbein was one of four Badgers on the all-Big Ten second team, along with Goerlitz, Hanson and Van Sicklen.
“Hohlbein stepped right in — he can play,” Hanson said. “He’s pretty much like an upperclassmen; that’s how I think of him.”
Fighting for the positions alongside Hohlbein and Cardona are sophomores Hamid Afsari, John Scripp, William Bagayoko and Tommy Worboril, as well as freshman Nick Caronna.
Behind its young defense, Wisconsin returns standout goalkeeper Eric Hanson. In 2003, Hanson finished third in the Big Ten with 88 saves. Entering his second season as a team captain, Hanson has proven to be a rock in the net, as well as one of the team’s vocal leaders.
“Eric is just quality,” Rohrman said. “He’s a great kid, a tremendous player, he’s such a valuable part of the team. With Eric, I just hope he can stay healthy. He’s had a little brush with injuries the past year or two. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to have a great year for us. In terms of intangibles that you want in a player, Eric brings those every day.”
Though talented, the Badgers remain a very youthful squad. Just five seniors will suit up for UW this fall, and not one junior appears on the team’s roster. Thus, Wisconsin will pin its hopes on the ability of its younger players to adjust to life in the Big Ten quickly.
“They’re going to make mistakes, obviously,” Hanson said. “We have to be patient and understand it will take a little bit.”
Wisconsin opens its season against Evansville Sept. 3 at the 2004 Big Toe Soccer Invitational in Madison.
“I’m looking forward to the first game,” Rohrman said. “It’s a little bit earlier than maybe I would like, but we’ll take it. I know they’re going to be itching to get on the field and play somebody, that’s for sure.”
