[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald Photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The University of Wisconsin Men's Soccer team is going through some growing pains. That is something of a given, as they are relying on so much youth this season. However, that youth is fast growing and at 3-3, the team looks primed for a strong season.

Throughout the scoreless 90 minutes of regulation against the Creighton Bluejays Sunday, Badger freshman Brandon Miller controlled the ball effectively, repeatedly moving it down the field.

"Brandon has been such a dynamic, elusive player for us," said head coach Jeff Rohrman. "You know, he's tenacious; he's slippery. He's a guy who can separate himself. He's got great one-on-one skills. He can serve a good ball."

Asked about his transition to Big Ten soccer, Miller had several comments.

"I'm still getting accustomed to the college game, but I'm getting it figured out," Miller said. "The main difference is the habits I developed in high school — the competition, the bar is set much higher in college.

"The players — there's not a weak player on the field, which is much different than high school. Physically in high school, you usually have one or two standout players, but that was about it. Especially in the Division I level, every player on the field belongs there — they've earned their spot. They're very strong.

"In high school I could dribble and pretty much do whatever I wanted, but in college you have to be focused at all times and thinking ahead; what's going to happen next. And you have to distribute the ball more, rather than dribble, because everyone's good, and you can't just dribble around everyone, which is what I was able to do in high school."

Rohrman expects Miller to be an influence on the Badgers' success this year because he is such a smart and stealthy player on the field.

"He's so dynamic and athletic that he's going to cause problems for defenders," Rohrman said. "Whether it's running at them, or with the ball, or trying to get in behind them with good, well-timed runs to receive the ball."

Not all of the freshmen have gotten as much playing time as Miller did Sunday, but that's because he provides the team with a completely different style of play as a speedy forward.

"I just thought with his speed and athleticism, that might give us a little bit of a different look against Creighton," said Rohrman. "And he was dangerous. He looked like one of our most dangerous guys on the day."

Twelve of the Badgers' 34 players this year are freshmen, but Rohrman discounted any potential imbalance on the team.

"I think we have a good blend of youth and experience this year," he said. "It's nice to have eight seniors and those are certainly the players — from a leadership perspective — that we're going to lean on as we move through the season."

In the Panther Classic soccer tournament in Milwaukee the prior weekend, freshmen players were influential. Sophomore Victor Diaz scored the winning points against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, but then freshmen Brian Bultman and Eric Conklin ran up the board in the Badger 7-0 win, with Bultman scoring three and Conklin one goal.

"We've known Brian for a few years," said coach Rohrman. "He's a guy who's come to our camp and has done well. You know, he's got a great nose for the goal. He still has to get a little bit better in a few areas, but I think that over time he's certainly going to be a young man that is going to compete on a daily basis up top for us.

"Eric was with us in the spring," Rohrman continued. "I thought he had a really good opening weekend down in Tulsa. He helped set up a penalty kick and got a goal on a Zack Lambo free kick. Eric has some really good ideas."

For Conklin, soccer has been a vital part of his life ever since he was born.

"I started playing soccer when I was five," he said. "I think maybe my mom got me into it. We had a soccer ball around the house, and I was always dribbling it around. So she thought it would be a good idea to get me into the recreational league."

Conklin red-shirted last year and has netted four goals in exhibition matches and the first games of the regular season.

"He's just got a good knack for getting on the end of things and creating things in and around the box," Rohrman said. "So he's got himself in a position where he's going to be considered into the rotation right now."

Pablo Delgado is also a freshman with the Badgers, although it may not seem like it.

"I keep forgetting that he's a freshman," Rohrman sand. "He certainly plays like someone who's a little bit older than 18. He brings a lot of maturity in his game — the sophistication that you don't always see in young players."

As the Badgers head into the Big Ten season, Rohrman will certainly be relying on his young players if the team expects to take the next step this year.

"I think the young guys that are competing and playing have done a good job," Rohrman said. "They've earned it through training — impressing people in that environment. So hopefully we can get it going in the next couple of weeks."