With the regular season in the books, the No. 20 University of Wisconsin men’s soccer team looks toward their second post season game, a match up in the Big Ten Tournament after beating sixth seeded Ohio State University 3-0 Sunday, a team they beat also 2-1 in their last home game Sunday.
The Badgers dominated most of each game, scoring both of their goals in the first half and, while the Buckeyes had a rejuvenated second half, the Badgers countered and let up just a single goal in the final minutes.
Men’s soccer: Wisconsin finishes year unbeaten at home after 2-1 win over Buckeyes
Now, UW looks ahead to a second straight match up with the Buckeyes with much more up for grabs. The Badgers are looking to make up for their poor performance in last year’s Big Ten Tournament.
Coming into last year’s tournament, Wisconsin had only three wins and had a matchup with Rutgers in the first round, and lost 5-2. Due to the loss, the Badgers didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament and ended their season short.
This year has been much better for the Badgers, garnering a number three seed in the conference tournament and tying for a second place finish to regular season in the Big Ten. The Badgers will probably qualify for the NCAA tournament this year, but a good showing in their conference tournament could not only give them a better seed, but propel them forward with confidence.
The Badgers made the National Tournament only two years ago, the first time since 1995 when they took home the national title.
The Badgers will look to keep their great defensive play going, the constant of their season that has kept them in or won most of their games. The leader of that defense is Sam Brotherton who was named Second Team All-Big Ten this week, an award he shared with teammates Mike Catalano and Mark Segbers.
Christopher Mueller was awarded first team All-Big Ten, the 19th player in UW’s history to be named to the First Team. Freshmen Elan Koenig and Noah Leibold both were named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team as well.
The Badgers have surprised much of the Big Ten soccer scene this season, as they came in second place in the conference and nearly beat the two other top teams in the Big Ten. If the Badgers can make a deep run in this tournament, they will likely have another chance at one of those teams, a win that could push them towards another run in the National Tournament.
The Badgers travel to play Indiana University on Friday in the semifinals.
