The Wisconsin men’s soccer team has come on hard times recently, going 1-5-1 in their last seven games, as well as 0-2 in the Big Ten. The latest mishap occurred last Friday, when the Badgers lost at home to No. 6 Indiana 4-0. In the loss,
Wisconsin was outshot 16-1 by the Hoosiers and was never really in the game. UW has been outshot 50-14 in their last three games, all losses.
With these tough losses, the Badgers’ confidence level is at an all-time low, something that has not gone unnoticed around the team.
“We are going to spend our time at practice this week working hard at building our confidence in what we are doing on the field,” senior defensemen Scott Repa said. “When we are in a position on the field that gets us in trouble, we have to not panic and make sure everyone is confident in what they are doing.”
Senior forward and team leader Dominic DaPra echoed Repa’s assessment of the team’s situation.
“We played well in the first 20 minutes against Indiana, but we didn’t score any goals,” DaPra said. “We need to get early goals for our confidence level.”
Besides the lack of confidence, other factors have attributed to Wisconsin’s slump.
“I think we are down a little bit physically as well,” DaPra said. “We are playing the hardest games at the toughest times of the season, although every team has to deal with that.”
Another problem that contributes to UW’s recent losses is a lack of aggressiveness on the field. Wisconsin has scored only two goals in its last four games.
“You sometimes worry about getting scored upon and putting yourself in a compromising position,” Repa said. “We have shied away from attacking and taking risks because of this.”
The formula for any team lacking confidence is to work from the front instead of from behind. With the lead, teams can be more aggressive instead of pressing, which is something the Badgers have definitely been guilty of doing the last few weeks.
This weekend could be the answer, in terms of both confidence and actual results. Despite playing two teams with winning records in IUPUI (6-5-1) and at Michigan (7-4-1), both teams are definitely beatable.
Two-headed monster proves able to be defeated: When the Badgers were 6-1-1, the senior tandem of forwards Dominic DaPra and Aaron Lauber scored nearly 90 percent of the team’s goals. But as teams tightened up their defense on those two players, the UW offense has struggled. Getting shutout by two Big
Ten powerhouses is one thing, but producing only three shots on goal in those two games is a whole different story.
“It would be nice to have someone else step up and score a few goals,” DaPra said. “I know we are definitely capable of doing that.”
With only three other players each scoring a single goal, nobody has taken that step. To play with more quality teams, the Badgers obviously need a more balanced offense.
Baker shining in the struggles: With Wisconsin giving up 50 shots in three games, goalkeeper Moriba Baker has definitely been the star in recent weeks. Against Indiana, Baker made some spectacular saves that saved the 4-0 final from being an absolute rout. Despite giving up eight goals in three games, Baker has played better recently than earlier in the season.
DaPra still on the chase: Senior forward Dominic DaPra’s chase of the Wisconsin single-season goal-scoring record has stalled in the last few games, but it still remains possible. With 11 goals, DaPra is seven away from tying Todd Zoschke’s 1984 mark of 18 goals.
“I think about [it] just because people talk about it, but I don’t worry about it too much,” DaPra said. “Just one game and one chance at a time.”
