[media-credit name=’GREGORY DIXON/Herald Photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]Potential is a word used to describe the anticipated success of a small business in the stock market. Meteorologists use it to predict the effect a storm will have on a community. Or, it can illustrate to colleges a student in the classroom who scores well on her placement tests.
The point is, potential is a term used to label the abilities of someone who is expected to do impressive things.
For three years, the Wisconsin men's soccer team was said to have potential. And while they showed glimmers of brilliance, the team fell short of expectations for the most part.
Now, after three years of empty promises and heartbreak, the Wisconsin men's soccer team is fulfilling their potential with the leadership of striker Reid Johnson and the rest of its senior class.
Wisconsin (7-4-2, 2-1-1 Big Ten) is having its best season since they went 11-5-5 back in 1996. Despite a setback against Ohio State Sunday, Wisconsin appears to be a contender for not only the Big Ten Championships, but also an NCAA berth. Johnson would love for either of them to happen considering the struggles he and the team endured the previous three years.
"It would be great. It would basically be three years of struggling to finally get your goal at the end," Johnson said. "Three, four years of work to no avail [is] frustrating, but having the result at the end of it — even if it's just once — it's so rewarding."
In the midst of Wisconsin's best season of the decade, Johnson has compiled a pleasant track record as of late. The senior striker has recorded four points this year, including two game-winning goals in as many games last week against Northwestern and Western Illinois.
"I'm just kind of getting back to 100 percent health-wise and it's just a matter of pride to play well [in your last season]," Johnson said. "I want to make a statement. [It's the] end of the line — we just got to get the team geared, and the best way to do that is to have a player step up … That's what I'm trying to do."
"He's done real well for us," UW head coach Jeff Rohrman said. "Obviously he can score goals — he has demonstrated that. Reid is not afraid of any situation or circumstance that comes up … He's very even-keeled. Reid gives us a guy who can score on the ground, [or] in the air."
More important than his stats, Johnson leads by example, and his leadership has launched the Badgers to new levels.
"[Winning] is not just for me, it's for every guy out there and you have to play for your teammates more than anything," Johnson said. "There are times when a player can get down on the field and I think staying positive, words of encouragement [and] communication really helps. [They all] will get any player back on their feet a lot quicker than just shooting them down or not saying anything."
Johnson admits that he wasn't always the positive leader that he is today. Throughout his tenure at Wisconsin, Johnson's desire to win sometimes got the best of him. He would often become upset and get down on himself if he felt that he shared some responsibility for a loss. This season Johnson rebounds quickly from tough performances and helps out his struggling teammates.
"Reid has dealt with some of the frustrations and disappointments much better this year," Rohrman said. "Even in the loss [Sunday] — even though it wasn't a great performance, he was one of the first guys to be sure we were picking our heads up and not dwelling on it — making sure our focus is now on Wednesday."
"This year more than any of the others Reid has also connected more with the other forwards," Rohrman added. "I think there was a time in his career where it was a little difficult to play with this guy or that guy. Reid has really opened up to the idea of playing with different people and trying to work through some of the difficulties that come with different partners up front. I think that's a real credit to Reid in terms of his growth and development."
With just five remaining games before the Big Ten Tournament, Johnson and the rest of Wisconsin's seniors will be sure to put forth a tenacious effort so that their four years of perseverance and resolve will not go to waste.
"It's a very important part of the season down the stretch here and there's a lot of teams that have six, seven, eight wins and a lot of things are going to be decided in these next five games. I know that [Reid] is going to put his best effort into these next five games to close out his career in the right way."