Freshman David Caban’s goal with four minutes remaining pushed the Wisconsin men’s soccer team (4-3-1) past Loyola Marymount (2-6) for a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon.
The Badgers started the game off with a forceful offensive presence attacking the ball. Early on, junior Tamislav Zadro scored the first goal of the game for the Badgers at the 22:21 mark, the sixth time Zadro has scored a goal for the Badgers in the previous six games. With the end of the first half nearing, the Badgers defensive unit made a more dominant showing on the field.
“It’s really nice, especially being a freshman, to get my first goal,” Caban said. “It was a bit of a relief, especially so late in the game. It’s pretty nice to come out on a Sunday and win.”
Caban’s goal was made possible with the assist from senior Josh Thiermann. After transferring to Wisconsin and being sidelined with injuries, Thiermann has been waiting to contribute to the team in a meaningful way.
“Everybody always says, ‘Oh, you know it’s so emotional,’ but it honestly was for me,” Thiermann said. “To put the jersey on for the first official game meant the absolute world to me.”
Loyola Marymount scored a goal with three minutes remaining in the half to tie the game at 1-1. Although the game was tied entering halftime, the Badgers had plenty of reasons to hold their heads high, especially considering they were out-shooting LMU 8-5.
Opening the second half of the game, Wisconsin continued its heavy defensive showing. The second half proved to be very physical with lots of pushing around and fighting for the ball.
The Badgers came off with four yellow cards in the second half as well as a few offside calls that seemed to be a struggle late in the game. Nevertheless, UW wasn’t slowed.
After Thiermann capped the night with the game-winning assist, head coach John Trask came away confident and impressed with Thiermann’s offensive play.
Trask felt Thiermann showed real knowledge for the game and the team Sunday, realizing he needed to pass the ball off to Caban rather than go after the goal himself in the final minutes.
“Josh is playing hurt, and God love him for it but he is a fifth-year senior, and this is his last hurrah,” Trask said. “He is playing for the school, he is playing for the fans and he is playing for his teammates.”
Trask also felt it was UW’s overall athleticism that contributed to the victory against LMU. The Badgers out-shot the Lions 18-11, and with Sunday’s win, the Badgers find themselves sitting with a 3-2 home record.
“I thought it was a hard fought win today, and sometimes that’s all that college soccer is about, is winning,” Trask said.
The win is a solid confidence booster for the Badgers with a three-game home series approaching with games against in-state rival Marquette and No. 1-ranked Indiana.
“They are home games. You almost don’t need to say anything else,” Thiermann said. “Home games are the best; nothing is better than getting a ‘W’ at home in front of your home fans.”
