After experiencing a bitter conclusion to the first half of its season, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team looked to capitalize on a full week away from the pitch to regroup before clashing with defending Big Ten Champion Michigan State.
Wisconsin’s week of reassessment did not go to waste, as senior forward Scott Lorenz and the rest of the team upstaged Michigan State 2-1 in double overtime and improved its record to 3-5-2.
After falling behind early, Lorenz quickly retorted by connecting off a flick header from senior midfielder Brandon Miller in the 15th minute and later off a pass over the top from junior midfielder Jon Rzepka in the 104th minute to send the Spartans home still winless in the Big Ten.
After leading his team with 10 goals his junior year, Lorenz, a team captain, was still seeking his first goal of the season prior to Sunday’s game.
“It’s a relief, always is,” Lorenz said of scoring his first goal of the season. “Strikers go through slumps, but you have to have a short memory about it and just keep playing through.”
Lorenz’s performance against Michigan State earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week accolades and provided the breakthrough the team hoped would come out of the weeklong preparation.
Lorenz, who leads the team with shots and shots on goal, not only ended his own scoring drought with his two-goal performance but he also ended the team’s three-game scoring dry spell and helped snap a four-game winless streak, while notching the team’s first win in the Big Ten.
“It’s a nice feeling, all things coming together at once,” Lorenz said. “We had a great week of practice leading up to it. The team was really focused and executed very well. It’s a nice thing to see.”
Throughout the week of practice, Lorenz and his offensive crew worked to improve communication and finishing strong in their attacks. Miller noted how Lorenz capitalized on his opportunities, despite not having many during the course of the game.
“I think Scotty did well with the couple chances he got,” Miller said. “He did a good job of getting them on frame and putting them where they needed to be.”
Wisconsin switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation against Michigan State, which adds an extra midfielder and allows Lorenz the freedom to play closer to and concentrate on the goal. Wisconsin head coach Todd Yeagley feels the formation switch will give his midfielder more opportunities to score.
“The change in the system has allowed him to be more of an offensive threat,” Yeagley said. “That change alone will give Scott more chances at goals.”
With the 4-4-2 alignment, the coaching staff will have to rely more on Lorenz as a scoring threat. Regardless, Yeagley knows of his player’s capabilities and believes he will rise to the challenge.
“We’ve asked him to play several roles, and now we’re asking him to play a little higher on the field,” Yeagley said. “He understands the responsibility of being the guy who can put some pressure on teams through either goals or assists, and he likes that.”
During their week of practice, Miller, who also earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier in the season, mentioned the offense’s need to work on the final touch and final pass before taking a shot on goal. Miller and Lorenz demonstrated a rise in capability on that front by hooking up on the team’s first goal in three games.
“I have a good feel for where [Lorenz] likes to go, and he does a very good job of reading the game and getting on the end of things,” Miller said.
Yeagley has said in times of scoring droughts, it sometimes takes just one goal for things to turn around. Lorenz understands how one goal can open up possibilities for the offense and how it can make the team more aggressive when it needs to be.
“I think it gave the team more attacking sense and to know that we could put the ball in the back of the net finally, and (it) gave some people the freedom.”
With their week off acting as a buffer zone between what the team is calling their “new season,” Lorenz was able to address issues on an individual matter as well and knows what to do differently as the season progresses.
“I don’t think I took enough half-chances in the beginning of the season,” Lorenz said. “So basically, creating more opportunities for myself and my teammates, being more aggressive on the offensive end.”
With a fresh look and a fresh start for the season, Lorenz and his team promise to not have their appetites bedded down after Michigan State.
“We’re looking to keep it rolling,” Lorenz said.