[media-credit name=’GREG DIXON/Herald file photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

It was a long time coming for the men’s soccer team, but their performance against Penn State was worth the wait.

Four second-half goals paved the way for Wisconsin’s first Big Ten win in two years. Despite winning by such a large margin, the Badgers found themselves in a battle for much of the game.

Similar to three of Wisconsin’s Big Ten losses this season, UW was down a goal early in the game. In the 14th minute, Penn State midfielder Matheus Braga’s pass from the left side found sophomore Drew Cost inside the 18-yard box. Despite being surrounded by three Badgers, Cost turned and fired a shot past goalie Alex Horwath.

“Our movement and our sharpness and our crispness, it wasn’t there in the first half,” Wisconsin head coach Jeff Rohrman said. “We weren’t executing as well.”

For much of the first period of play, Wisconsin had trouble keeping the ball out of their zone. With gusts of wind blowing up to 35 miles per hour directly at Wisconsin’s side, the Badgers also had trouble getting any scoring chances in the first half.

“In the first half, we couldn’t play,” senior forward Victor Diaz said. “All the balls were coming back to us; it was crazy.”

Wisconsin ended the first half only down by a goal, placing them in prime position for a second-half comeback.

With the wind at their backs, the Badgers had the luxury the Nittany Lions enjoyed in the first half. The scoring started for Wisconsin in the 55th minute, when Zack Lambo’s corner kick found an open Taylor Waspi. Waspi headed the ball past goalie Liam Fitzwater to tie the game.

“In the second half, I thought Lambo served a couple of great balls, and obviously Taylor Waspi did what he does best,” Rohrman said. “He got on the end of it and started the scoring for us.”

With 27 minutes left in the game, Wisconsin was on the attack again. Thirty yards from the goal, Diaz saw junior Eric Conklin slip past the defense and was able to hit Conklin in stride. Moments later, Conklin drilled a shot past Fitzwater to put Wisconsin ahead.

“I thought Victor’s awareness to find him and Conklin’s composure in hitting that first timer was great,” Rohrman said. “I thought we did a good job of executing.”

Less than five minutes later, the Badgers tacked on an insurance goal when Diaz found another open teammate. Diaz’s cross-pass connected with junior Scott Lorenz, who was positioned at the 6-yard box. Lorenz’s toe-poke right in front of the net easily found its way past Fitzwater.

“The third goal was tremendous as well,” Rohrman said. “We challenged our players to do better in all phases of the game, and they did so in the second half.”

Wisconsin’s fourth goal in 15 minutes came when Aaron Nichols served the ball to junior Brandon Miller. Miller’s header put away any doubts of a Penn State comeback. With his pass to Nichols, Diaz recorded his third assist of the game.

“The second half, we just kept going and going,” Diaz said. “That’s what we had to do, and we did it well.”

There was no better time for the team to earn its first Big Ten victory than on Senior Day, when Andy Miller, Kenny Dix, Diaz and Lambo were honored for their efforts at Wisconsin.

“It was a great feeling,” Diaz said. “After four years of being here, it was a great recognition for all the effort and everything we’ve put into this program.”

With such a comfortable lead, Rohrman was able to take time in the second half to substitute each senior out to a round of applause.

“You wish you could do that every year,” Rohrman said. “Those guys have meant a lot to our program over the last four years.”