Football is back in Madison, but maybe not the one you’re thinking of. Wisconsin’s men and women’s soccer teams are back on the pitch and both have a lot to prove this season.
The women’s team started their year off with a dominant showing in pre-season play. The action began away from home against Texas Christian University. The Badgers held the frogs to a 0-0 draw.
The team continued through Texas, taking on Baylor three days later. With Wisconsin goals from sophomore Adee Boer and senior Emma Jaskaniec, as well as a massive effort from goalkeeper Erin McKinney, the Badgers won their first game of the new season by a score of 2-0.
The Badger women’s soccer team’s first home fixture was against Loyola. Sophomore Maia Richters netted her first career goal off an assist from Jaskaniec in the 41st minute. Amanda Cassidy scored an equalizing goal for the Ramblers late, ending in a 1-1 draw. Wisconsin went on to dominate UW-Green Bay later that same weekend with a 3-0 win.
The squad’s undefeated run ended on a trip to play Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish scored four goals against the Badgers in the second half of play. Jaskaniec was able to sneak in one goal in the 79th minute, and although it could not salvage a point for Wisconsin, it was the first goal conceded by Notre Dame this season.
The Badgers regrouped and returned to their winning ways quickly though, as they went on to win three games straight. First, a 2-0 win over Butler in Indianapolis. Wisconsin then took wins at home against UW-Milwaukee and Northern Illinois.
With non-conference play out of the way, the Badgers turn their eyes to Big Ten play. This Wisconsin squad has high hopes, as they are ranked third in the Big Ten coaches preseason poll.
The women started their conference play with a trip to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa struck first in the 6th minute of play, netting one goal past McKinney. This would be the Hawkeyes’ only goal of the match though, while Wisconsin totaled three goals in rapid succession in the 46th, 47th and 50th minutes of the match. Wisconsin came home with a dominant 3-1 showing on their first conference outing.
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The women’s squad this year has had no issue finding the back of the net, a theme that should continue throughout the season.
On the men’s side of things, the Badgers are entering conference play with fewer minutes under their belts than the women’s squad. Coming off an underwhelming 2021 season which ended 3-5-1 in conference play, the Badger men put up a strong showing in non-conference play.
The team welcomed new head coach Neil Jones to Madison with a 5-0 victory over Utah State. A new graduate transfer, Matt Chandler, scored the first goal, followed by a goal from junior Maxwell Keenan. Juniors Jack Finnegan and Tim Bielic teamed up for a goal, followed by two penalty kicks from senior Inaki Iribarren.
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The following match against a ranked Tulsa side created some drama.
Finnegan scored two goals, and Iribarren scored a third, putting up three goals for the Badgers by the 69th minute. That’s when lightning struck, literally. The game had to be called off seconds before the game would have reached the 70th minute (where the game could be called finished). This meant the match ended “no contest” with no impact on either squad’s record.
The strong showing in the first two matches was not enough to keep the Badgers up for long though. Wisconsin suffered losses against both UW-Milwaukee and Western Michigan, both away. Despite Wisconsin getting goals on the board early in both matches, both the Panthers and Broncos were able to sneak two past goalkeeper Carter Abbott.
The Badgers closed out the non-conference season with dominant showings against UAB and Marquette. Wisconsin entered the conference season with a positive, 3-2 record.
Conference play began with a trip to State College to take on Penn State. The first 45 ended level, with both sides testing the other. The Nittany Lions were able to beat the Badgers in the dying embers of the match with a goal in the 85th minute. Despite receiving 16 setpiece opportunities, the Badgers were unable to put up more than three shots on goal, returning to Madison with a 0-1 loss.
The Badger men are still finding their footing following years of underwhelming results. New head coach Neil Jones also appears to be working on how he plans to coach the squad going forward. The team is led by three experienced captains and has decent depth. The question is how the squad plan will utilize it.
Wisconsin soccer is set to be an enthralling and energetic season for both teams with stand-out players and great coaching. Looks like UW excels at more than just American Football…
