MADISON, Wis. -- Coming off its first win of the season, the Wisconsin men's soccer team (1-5-1) will take the pitch on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT against Penn State (5-1-0) in University Park, Pennsylvania, and Michigan State (2-6-0) in East Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday.
Fans can catch the action via live stream at
BTNPlus.com or through
live stats.
1. WHAT A WIN: With just under four minutes to go in the match, sophomore
Michael Wampler kicked in the game-winning goal for the Badgers Friday afternoon at McClimon Soccer Complex to earn a
1-0 victory over Ohio State.
Holding out for 86 defensive minutes, Wisconsin matched Ohio State's drive all the way.
With just a few minutes to go in the second half and overtime in sight, junior
Noah Melick received a long pass down the right wing, raced towards the bottom of the goal box and found Wampler cutting through. The Cincinnati native finished for his first career goal to secure the first win for the Badgers.
2. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Making an outstanding first career start, sophomore goalkeeper
Carter Abbott recorded five saves for a clean sheet in Friday's win.
The Wauwatosa native earned
BigTen Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Although he saw no action in 2019, Abbott was named 2018 Wisconsin High School State Player of the Year after a dominant season in goal for Marquette University High School, the first goalkeeper to win the award in 17 years. He helped his team to state championships both his junior and senior seasons.
3. BADGERS ON POINT: Four Badgers have been on point in their stats this season.
Freshman
Jack Finnegan leads UW with 11 shots on net as he attempts to score his first career goal. He holds one assist on junior
Andrew Akindele's goal in the 1-1 draw against Northwestern March 15. Akindele currently leads the Badgers with two goals, his first also against Northwestern Feb. 23, the same night junior
Henri Tophoven netted his first goal. Freshman
Murat Calkap, who comes in second on the team with 9 shots on goal, leads the team in assists with two from both Northwestern games.
4. SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS: UW has an 8-13-2 record against Penn State all-time.
Penn State (5-1-0) recently shut out Ohio State (3-3-1) for its third-straight win and second-straight shutout. Players to watch are sophomore midfielder Andrew Privett, who leads the Nittany Lions with 12 shots and holds one goal and one assist, and junior forward Danny Bloyou, who boasts four goals and one assist with 11 shots on net.
Last time out, Wisconsin saw their 2019 season come to an end when they fell 3-0 at Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament Nov. 10, 2019.
5. SCOUTING THE SPARTANS: The Badgers are neck-and-neck with the Spartans with a 9-9-4 record.
Michigan State (2-6-0) has dropped three consecutive 2-1 games, with losses to first-place Indiana, Maryland and Michgan. It has wins over Penn State and Northwestern. Farai Mutatu, who leads the team with 13 shots on net and one goal, is a player to watch.
Last time out, the Badgers fell to the Spartans in a 2-1 overtime loss Oct. 6, 2019. In a nationally televised game, Wisconsin overcame a first-half deficit to tie the game at 1-1, but Michigan State scored in the 94th minute of the match.
