MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men's soccer season starts this Thursday and Big Ten Conference coaches put a pair of Wisconsin men's soccer midfielders on its 2023 players to watch list, while a transfer goalkeeper also made the list.
A pair of 2022 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's All-North Region Third Team Badgers in graduate midfielder
Tim Bielic and senior midfielder
Maxwell Keenan made the list, while junior goalkeeper and UCLA transfer
Nate Crockford join the returning duo.
Bielic led the Badgers with six assists last season, while Keenan paced UW with seven goals and 16 points in 2022. Keenan's total marked the most for a Badger since the 2017 campaign.
Crockford backstopped UCLA to the third round of the 2022 NCAA tournament last year, starting in all but one game for the Bruins.
As a team, the Badgers were picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten standings by the coaches in the preseason, the same spot they finished in head coach
Neil Jones' first season at the helm last year. Defending Big Ten champion Maryland was chosen to repeat.
UW opens its regular season on Thursday with a home tilt against Purdue Fort Wayne. Kickoff at the McClimon Soccer Complex is set for 7 p.m. and admission is free.
2023 Big Ten Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Maryland
2. Indiana
3. Ohio State
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Wisconsin
7. Michigan State
8. Northwestern
9. Michigan
