After another strong performance at home Wednesday night against the University of Missouri-Kansas City (6-8-2), the Wisconsin men’s soccer team scored two goals in the last 30 minutes to earn a vital 2-0 victory.
While the Badgers had control of the game from the beginning, it would not be until the 60th minute that the deadlock would finally be broken.
When senior defender Kyle McCrudden found himself with the rare chance to take a shot on goal, his shot ricocheted off the post and into the path of on-rushing forward Jacob Brindle, who tapped it in for his second goal of the season.
“There was a little bit of a scrap in the box,” Brindle said. “I just tried to put myself in a position that someone could find me if it rebounded off the post and sure enough [McCrudden] hit it off the post.”
From the first whistle to start the game, the Badgers seemed the clear favorite. For much of the first half, UW dominated possession, getting chance after chance and racking up five corner kicks.
Still, despite constant pressure, the UMKC defense held up and didn’t allow a single shot on goal throughout the entire first half.
With one goal under their belts after Brindle’s 60th minute goal, the Badgers seemed even more likely to score in the last 30 minutes dominating possession on their way to outshooting UMKC 13 to one in the second half.
In the 83rd minute Brindle would once again find the back of the net after slipping in behind the defense for an easy finish to the far post.
After building the lead to two goals, head coach John Trask substituted out many of his starters, in order to give them some much-needed rest before they host a Northwestern team that has been in and out of the NCAA rankings all season at home Sunday.
“The guys are feeling it,” Trask said. “We have had three or four heavy games on a heavy field, not to make excuses for them because we have got to be better in those moments, but it was nice to see them get two goals and finish the game.
“That will help us this Sunday [against Northwestern]. It will get us a little bit fresher … which we are going to need because it is a big game.”
