The UW-Madison men’s soccer team fell into a midseason slump two weeks ago, losing four straight games and getting outscored by a combined total of 7–1. The latest set of Badger losses came at the hands of defending Big Ten champion Indiana and in-state rival Marquette.
For the first 77 minutes of their game against the Hoosiers, the Badgers fought valiantly in Bloomington as they remained deadlocked at a score of 1–1 with the No. 4 ranked team in the nation.
Men’s Soccer: Struggling Badgers fall to No. 4 Indiana, unranked Marquette
The tides turned in Indiana’s favor during the 78th minute when redshirt freshman Daniel Munie found the net for his first goal of the year. Freshman Maouloune Goumballe’s 90th-minute goal proved to be the dagger for the Badgers.
The Badgers returned home Sunday for a game against Marquette. Marquette controlled the game offensively, shooting thirteen shots compared to Wisconsin’s dismal three. Dean Cowdroy’s five saves were not enough to keep the Badgers in the game, and the Golden Eagles came out on top by a score of 2–0.
The Badgers are set to take on defending national champion Maryland in the latter half of their two-game homestand. The Terrapins enter play with substantial momentum, as they defeated No. 9 ranked St. John’s in their previous matchup.
Men’s Soccer: Badgers look to right the ship following disappointing week
The Terrapins are led by a balanced combination of forwards, Eric Matzelevich and Brayan Padilla. During Maryland’s national championship run, Matzelevich acted as a consistent contributor, playing in all six NCAA Tournament matches. Both players are tied for the team lead in goals with two a piece. Furthermore, both have recorded a noticeable amount of shots — Matzelvich with 17 and Padilla, 15 — on the year.
Wisconsin hopes to continue their winning ways against Maryland. In last year’s matchup in College Park, the Badgers mounted a pivotal upset, defeating Maryland 2–1. The win served a huge momentum boost for the rest of Wisconsin’s season. Following the win, the Badgers finished the season 6-1-1 in their final eight games.
The Badgers look to capture a similar level of momentum heading into this year’s edition of the Maryland matchup. The team is in dire need of a boost, as they have gone over two weeks without a win.
During this losing stretch, a few Badger players have shown some promise. In their loss to Indiana, Whitefish Bay sophomore forward Matthew Comiskey delivered a spark off the bench, scoring his first career goal.
The former three-time Division 2 Wisconsin state champion started to see significant action this season. Hopefully, Comiskey’s presence can give the Badgers a jolt during the second half of their schedule.
After Friday’s matchup, UW-Madison travels to Milwaukee for a road test against UW-Milwaukee.
