After a tough weekend that included two losses in quick succession, Wisconsin men’s soccer head coach John Trask struck a hopeful tone at his news conference Monday.
The team returns home to face Rutgers Friday after two losses last weekend against No. 9 Georgetown and George Mason. The Badgers lost 4-1 and 2-1, respectively, but Trask emphasized the team will build on those results to grow into a more experienced and cohesive unit.
“We’re still confident we can turn a corner and become a force to be reckoned with in Big Ten play,” Trask said. “These Badgers have been battle tested.”
With 12 true freshman currently holding roster spots, Trask went on to say the Badger freshman are “a deep class” and that “there are lessons that have to be learned with such a young team.”
Five freshman started against Georgetown and six started against George Mason, showing that Trask is sticking to his guns and looking to build a team for the future.
“There were points [on Sunday] where we had six freshmen on the field at once,” Trask said. “It can be a learning process to win with youth.”
Trask said he’s pleased so far with the progress his young players have made, although he pointed to other signs of concern. The Badgers, for example, lost AJ Cochran earlier this year after the Houston Dynamo drafted him, causing some uncertainty on the Badgers defense.
“Replacing someone like AJ Cochran creates a work in progress,” Trask said. “We don’t have one specific replacement. It’ll come by committee.”
Without a leader or solid solution in the back third, the Badgers will have their work cut out for them defensively in their first Big Ten conference game Friday.
However, the Badgers (1-3-0 overall) are entering a softer part of their season, which may just be what they need to grow as a team. The Badgers are done with a string of six tough games this season, two exhibition and four regular season games, against powerhouse teams such as Georgetown, George Mason, Notre Dame, Creighton, Xavier and San Francisco.
But the Badgers are now up against weaker teams, playing Rutgers (2-2-0) and St. John’s (0-3-1) at the McClimon Complex Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, respectively.
With a home crowd behind them, Trask hopes that the results will be different than the Badgers season so far. UW thrashed Xavier in a 4-0 win the last time it played at home and will be looking to repeat that success in its next two home games. Trask admitted that last weekend’s games were a disappointment, but that UW was looking forward to being back home.
“We’re expecting a great crowd on Friday to host Rutgers and open Big Ten play. We knew we’d take lumps in our tough non-conference schedule, but there’s been lots of growth in the group among Badgers,” Trask said.
Friday’s game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network as the Badgers will welcome in Rutgers for the Scarlet Knights’ first ever Big Ten soccer match.
For right now though, the main focus of Wisconsin soccer is growth. As Trask said, the increase in intensity from high school to collegiate soccer is “huge” and that the coaching staff is, “taking a boys’ team in to do a men’s job.” Only time will tell if the Badgers are ready for the challenge.