The Wisconsin men’s soccer team will host another home game against in-conference rival Michigan State Saturday night.
The Badgers (2-8-1, 1-1-1 Big Ten) are coming off a painful 1-0 loss to in-state rival Marquette and are still in search of their first win at home. Despite the record, the team is 1-1-1 in the Big Ten and currently tied in the conference standings with the Spartans (5-4-1, 1-1-1), making this matchup crucial with only five conference games left.
Michigan State is coming off a 2-1 loss in East Lansing to Ohio State. The Spartans are 3-1-0 on the road this season, matching up well against the Badgers 0-0-6 record at home.
The Badgers and Spartans share one common opponent in the season in Maryland. While UW struggled in a 4-1 loss to the Terrapins, Michigan State was able to walk away with a 0-0 tie against the same team.
But the Badgers have been steadily improving over the past year, and look poised to turn a few heads with a top five finish in the Big Ten.
The game is shaping up to be a defensive standoff between two teams who are trying to salvage something out of the end of the season. It is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at McClimon Complex.
Keys to a Wisconsin home win: Keep playing solid defense
In the last two games, Wisconsin has played solid defense against talented teams in Michigan and Marquette. They have proved their ability to hang with skilled forwards and seem to be creating an abundance of opportunities for the offense.
Michigan State has only had two games this year in which both teams scored, meaning if the Badgers can hold the back line for a full 90 minutes, one goal should be all they need. Simply put, they just need to eliminate the small mental lapses that have cursed them as of late.
Michigan State player to watch: Ryan Sierakowski
The outstanding Spartan freshman forward has burst onto the scene this season, leading the team in goals (three) and total points (eight) despite only taking the third-most shots (17). Widely considered to be one of the top 25 forwards in the country, Sierakowski presents a significant problem for the Badgers despite their recent experience with standout forwards. His matchup with Drew Connor will be the contest to watch.
