[media-credit name=’GREGORY DIXON/Herald Photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]After snatching its Big Ten opener with a clutch overtime goal, the Wisconsin men's soccer team (4-3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) looks to add another tally to the conference victory column as they travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take on a sizzling Michigan State squad (6-2-0, 0-1 Big Ten) Sunday.
Despite suffering a 3-1 loss to Penn State in its Big Ten opener last weekend, Michigan State bounced back with a strong 1-0 victory over Bowling Green Wednesday.
Wisconsin head coach Jeff Rohrman believes the Spartans will boast loads of confidence as they welcome his Badger lineup.
"I think [Michigan State] will have a lot of momentum because they've started off so well this year," Rohrman said. "They're 6-2 right now with the win over Bowling Green, and it's going to be a very good match-up. We'll have to put forth a great effort to beat them at their place because they're a very solid team and they've had some very good results so far."
Although Rohrman admits playing on the road has been difficult for his squad, which was 1-2 on the road in Big Ten play last season, he feels traveling does have its benefits.
"[Playing on the road] certainly presents a challenge, especially at a place where there [are] good fans," Rohrman said. "It definitely makes [the game] more challenging when you're not staying in the comfort of your own place. But, at the same time, it is a little bit easier because you can get away and you're able to get a good night's rest — you don't have to worry about some of the distractions that you might have at home with family and friends coming in."
In continuing their quest for the Big Ten title, the Badgers will be fired up for Sunday's showdown following a midweek match-up with in-state rival UW-Milwaukee, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Against the Panthers, Wisconsin was led by sophomore Zack Lambo, who scored the opener, and senior captain Aaron Hohlbein, who scored the late, 86th-minute equalizer. Since moving from the defensive backline to the midfield this season, Lambo has been simply sensational, leading the team in points with three goals and two assists.
"Zach's done an outstanding job," Rohrman said. "He brings such a polished left foot, he's great on set pieces and he's really coming into his own. This is his second year and he's playing with a lot of confidence and, overall, he's played very, very well for us and it's hard to take him off of the field because he's such a good player."
While Lambo has been hot for the Badgers, the Spartans have relied on junior forward Kenzo Webster to provide much of their scoring. Webster, who leads Michigan State in goals with five this season, has definitely caught the attention of Rohrman, who knows he'll have to mark the striker tightly.
"It's tough to stop [Webster] because he's such a good athlete," Rohrman said. "He's got great pace, and we just need to know where he's at at all times. … We just can't take our eye off of him. He's a very good player, a good finisher in the box, and we need to try and neutralize him as much as we can."
In last season's meeting with Michigan State, Wisconsin fared quite well, winning 3-2 in overtime with goals by Hamid Afsari, Victor Diaz and Erik Ortega.
With Michigan State only losing three starters from its 2005 roster, the Badgers will hope their familiarity of the Spartans will produce a repeat outcome from last year.
"We know them well," Rohrman said of Michigan State. "They don't have a lot of new faces in the mix right now and they play more of their older guys, so it will be a very familiar team that we play on Sunday."