Two shots, one hit crossbar and a beautiful assist for the game-winning goal. A stat line like that is remarkable for any single player on a soccer team, regardless of position. But when that kind of production is coming from a member of your defensive corps, it is truly game-changing.

Maybe part of the reason Badger defender Scott Lorenz is able to have that kind of impact on the pitch lies in his roots as a player.

"In high school, I played much more of an attacking role for my team," said the 6-foot junior from Barrington, Ill. "I played a lot as an attacking midfield and sometimes as a forward, so I became really knowledgeable on the offensive side of the ball."

Following his senior season in high school, during which he collected team MVP awards for his outstanding goal production, Lorenz came to Madison primarily as an attacking midfielder. Last spring, however, UW head coach Jeff Rohrman decided to take a different approach, taking advantage of Lorenz’s natural athleticism, and tried him out as an outside midfielder.

"[Lorenz] just has so many good traits that would lend themselves well to being successful as an outside back," Rohrman said. "He can serve a good ball, he can finish off plays, he is dangerous in the air, he is a tenacious defender, and he has been blessed with excellent quickness up and down the field.

"So many players just don't have the skills he does, so when we can put him in the defensive position, it really uses him in the best way for our team."

All those abilities and more were surely on full display last Sunday, as Lorenz repeatedly made his presence known on both sides of the ball. Between his timely runs forward to help the Badgers attack the Western Michigan goalkeeper and his slick passes through the midfield, the Bronco defenders really had no answer for the mismatches he created.

On one play midway through the first half, Lorenz nearly had the first goal of his junior season. Sneaking around the back of the Western Michigan defenders, Lorenz was on the receiving end of a high-bouncing pass from midfielder Pablo Delgado across the front of the 18-yard box.

"[The ball] was just sitting there for what seemed like forever," recalls Lorenz. "I was calling everyone in the area off of it, and when I finally came through on it with my foot, I realized I had probably hit it a little too hard."

The shot that resulted ended up shooting up into the crossbar of the goal, just past the outreached hands of the diving opponent keeper.

Lorenz would go on to lead a few more offensive charges from his post on the back line before walking into the locker room at halftime with both teams in a scoreless tie.

"I felt we did a pretty good job of dictating the pace of the game (in the first half)," Rohrman said. "Not getting that early goal can definitely test your patience, composure and discipline sometimes. I felt we did a good job responding to the challenge in the second half."

To start the second half, Lorenz and the rest of the UW defense had to withstand a fierce attack from their opponents, who had clearly used the break to their advantage. After a start to the game where Lorenz was able to showcase his offensive prowess, the junior now had to use his all-around game to quell the Bronco surge. It wasn't long, however, before the forward-thinking defense managed once again to push the ball up field and toward the WMU goal.

In a play similar to his first shot,, Lorenz found himself again on the receiving end of a cross across the opponent's goal, but instead of firing off another rocket shot, cleanly dished the ball to waiting forward Brian Bultman for what proved to be the game winner.

When asked how he thought his play impacted the outcome of the game, Lorenz once again spread the wealth, saying, "All of the defenders really helped the team (on Sunday) by creating opportunities with our passing and our overlapping runs up the field."

And on being only a couple of inches away from getting a goal to go with his assist, completing his box score line for the day?

"It was a bit frustrating to miss like that," Lorenz joked. "But in the end we won, and that's all that matters."

It looks like the Badgers' secret offensive weapon in the back still has plenty more tricks up his sleeve for what promises to be an exciting season.