Badgers book ticket to Big Ten tournament

Sunday, October 23

Evanston, IL

3 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

5-6-3, 2-4-1

Northwestern

2-8-5, 0-5-2

Wisconsin

Northwestern

Maxwell Keenan looks towards goal

Photo by: Tom Lynn

Badgers book ticket to Big Ten tournament

October 23, 2022 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Wisconsin beat Northwestern for huge three points

By: Julian Issar

EVANSTON, Ill. – The Wisconsin men's soccer team earned an important victory in its second-to-last Big Ten game of the season at Northwestern, winning 1-0. With the win, the Badgers officially secured a spot in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament.

Straight from the Pitch – Head Coach Neil Jones
"Immensely proud of the effort the squad put in today. It is never easy to get three points on the road in the Big Ten and we had a total team effort to earn the result and now a spot in the conference tournament.

"[Now} we are looking forward to honoring our seniors on senior day this upcoming Sunday."

How it happened
The men's soccer team had one objective going into this game: win and you are in. The boys executed their plan to the tee, prevailing away from home in a 1-0 victory.

The Badgers struck first in the 15th minute through a link-up play between the two statistical leaders on the team, Maxwell Keenan and Jack Finnegan. Finnegan started the sequence after pressing Northwestern's left back and stripping him of the ball. The junior proceeded to drive towards the box and hit a low driven cross towards the back post. Keenan caught the ball with the outside of his right foot and hit it into the back of the net.

Jack Finnegan wins the ball back and serves it on a platter back post. #8 is there to bury it in the back if the net. pic.twitter.com/nLW5V15mSr
— Wisconsin Soccer (@BadgerMSoccer) October 23, 2022

Going into the second half, Wisconsin was playing against the wind with Northwestern trying to equalize. The team's defense stood strong, however, and managed to keep the clean sheet. The Badgers are really hitting their stride prior to the Big Ten Tournament and have looked like one well-oiled machine the past few matches.

Notes

This was the first time the Badgers beat the Wildcats since 2018
With the win, the team now sits in seventh place with seven points in Big Ten standings, three points out of fifth place with one game remaining
The back line tonight was extremely organized, causing five offsides for Northwestern (Wisconsin had zero offsides)

Next up
Wisconsin faces Ohio State at McClimon Soccer Complex next Sunday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. for its final regular season game of the season. The Badgers will also celebrate their seniors in their final home game.