The Badgers (3-4-0) lost a heartbreaker Sunday afternoon at the Adidas Brown Classic in Providence, R.I., losing 4-3 to the home team on a goal with just 19 seconds left. Junior transfer Jed Hohlbein (Middleton, Wis.) was the top scorer of the tournament as he played a role in all five of the Badgers’ goals on the weekend. He scored a hat trick in Sunday’s 4-3 defeat — his second career three-goal game and first as a Badger.
“It was just a great college game to watch,” said head coach Jeff Rohrman. “We showed a lot of heart and character. We played well enough to win, but at the same time we gave up four goals.”
Brown (2-0-0) took the first lead early in the game on a hard shot from the far side of the field that got by UW junior goalkeeper Eric Hanson (Madison, Wis.). The Badgers answered with two goals of their own at the 10:42 and 14:17 marks. Jed Hohlbein scored his first of three goals in the game off a deflection inside the box, on an assist by junior midfielder Noah Goerlitz (Neenah, Wis.).
Minutes later Hohlbein struck again, this time connecting on a loose ball right in front of the net. Junior forward David Martinez (Shawnee, Kan.) was credited with the assist, his second of the tournament. The Brown Bears tied the game late in the first half on a header off a corner kick, making the score at the half 2-2.
Brown, coming off a huge upset of 19th-ranked Stanford Friday, regained its lead just 2:30 into the second half. Adom Crew scored off a rebound to put the Brown Bears up 3-2. Then UW knotted the game for the third time at 67:15 when Hohlbein carried the ball into the box on a breakaway, scoring his fourth goal of the year with help from sophomore forward Phil Doeh (Dixon, Ill). But with 19 seconds left, Crew tallied again, winning the game with a shot from inside the box.
Hanson made a season-high eight saves as the Badgers dropped to 3-4-0 this season. All four losses have been by a single goal.
“It’s very tough to lose a game like this, but I know that if we continue to believe and work together, good things will happen. We will get rewarded,” said Rohrman.
Wisconsin is on the road again this weekend, traveling to Ohio to take part in the Dayton Tournament. The Badgers take on Dayton Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and play IUPUI Sunday at noon.
Three Badgers were named to the 2003 Adidas Brown Classic All-Tournament Team. Jed Hohlbein, senior Watson Vaughan Prather and Goerlitz. Goerlitz was also named the Defensive Player of the tournament.
Before suffering the 4-3 defeat by Brown Sunday, Wisconsin opened up play in the tournament’s first round with a victory Friday night.
Doeh scored the game-winning goal at the 14:39 mark to lead Wisconsin to a 2-0 victory over Yale in the first round of the Adidas Brown Soccer Classic at Brown’s Stevenson Field.
Doeh scored the game winner, his first goal of the year, on a deflection off Jed Hohlbein’s shot early in the first half. The Badgers put the Bulldogs away late in the game, at the 78:10 mark, when Martinez scored on a Holhlbein cross pass.
“We played very inspired,” said Rohrman. “It was as complete a game as we’ve played this year.” Everyone played at a level that they should be playing at by now and to rebound after our tough loss to UWGB during the week was a credit to the players.”
Hanson made six saves in net for the Badgers to earn the shutout. Hanson’s six saves, a game high for the season, gave him his seventh career shutout. Matt Aleksina made five saves in goal for the Elis.
-compiled from staff reports