Five things to know: Wisconsin vs. Michigan

Wisconsin

10-5-2

Michigan

11-4-2

Game Coverage

Friday, Nov. 9 | 2:30 pm — Westfield, Ind.

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MADISON, Wis. – Is there any stopping this electric Wisconsin (10-5-2) soccer team right now? That question will be answered this weekend as the Badgers face familiar foe Michigan (11-4-2) in the semifinal match of the Big Ten Tournament. The match is set to be played on Friday in Westfield, Indiana at the renowned Grand Park Sports Complex at 2:30 p.m. (CT).

1. RECAPPING RUTGERS: Thirteen minutes into its Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match, the Wisconsin men's soccer team faced a 2-0 deficit against Rutgers. Seventy-seven minutes later, the Badgers emerged victorious behind a brilliant six-goal performance, winning 6-3 over the Scarlet Knights. Freshman Noah Melick tallied another two-goal, one-assist performance against the Rutgers, including the game-winning goal. He now has six goals and two assists in the last six games.

2. RIVETING REMATCH: Three short weeks ago, the Badgers played host to then-No. 15 Michigan in what turned out to be one of the best bouts of the season. Wisconsin and Michigan's evenness kept the match scoreless at 0-0 for over 105 minutes of play. But when the go-ahead goal did come, it was Noah Melick and the Badger squad celebrating the 1-0 double overtime win in Madison.
Wisconsin trails Michigan 7-14-4 in the meetings between the two Big Ten powerhouses. The Badgers are 1-3 against the Wolverines at neutral sites. Wisconsin is looking for its third-straight win over Michigan, after beating the Maize and Blue in last year's Big Ten Tournament semifinal game, 4-0.

3. LATE-SEASON SPREE: Wisconsin just keeps gaining momentum. The Badgers are now 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, including wins over two ranked teams: Michigan and Michigan State. A huge part of Wisconsin's success lies in the defensive half of the field. Wisconsin goalie junior Dean Cowdroy has posted seven shutouts on the year, with the help of All-Big Ten Second Team defender junior Robin Olofsson and All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree Zach Klancnik. And while the defense has stayed strong throughout the season, the emergence of a frightening attacking core has pushed the Badgers over the edge. Freshmen duo Andrew Akindele and Noah Melick now combine for 26 points on the year off 10 goals (six gamewinners) and six assists.

4. POSTSEASON POSITION: Friday's match against Michigan will be a pivotal one for the Badgers. If they win, Wisconsin will punch its ticket to the Big Ten Championship game where they would face No. 1 seed Indiana for a Big Ten Championship rematch, or the No. 5 seed Maryland Terrapins, who they beat in double overtime earlier this season. The Badgers are currently No. 45 in the RPI, which puts them in a good position headed into the conference semifinals.

5. NEED TO KNOW: Follow along with Friday's match on Twitter (@BadgerMSoccer) and catch all things Badger soccer on UWBadgers.com. The match will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.