MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin men's soccer stayed unbeaten in Big Ten play while earning its conference first win on the season with a 1-0 shutout against the defending Big Ten-champion Maryland on Sunday at McClimon Soccer Complex. The game was the first in a men's and women's doubleheader celebrating Wisconsin Athletics' Power of Us campaign for diversity and inclusion.
How It Happened:
After 72 minutes of scoreless play, the Badgers broke through when a cross byÂ
Birgir Baldvinsson deflected of a off a Terappin defender and bounced up into the air. The Badgers got a good bounce when the ball was dropped by the Maryland keeper and freshman
Markie Hrvojevic capitalized by putting it in the back of the net.
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The Badgers' defense shined the rest of the way, with the first shot on goal for the Terrapins coming all the way in the 79th minute.
Nate Crockford was able to secure it to preserve the shutout.
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Wisconsin then broke up a Maryland corner in the 83rd minute, which served as the last scoring opportunity for the Terrapins as the Badgers held on to collect their sixth shutout of the year.
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Maryland's best scoring opportunity came in the 25th minute, drawing a foul in Wisconsin's box for a penalty kick. The attempt sailed over the goal, making the Badgers one-for-one against penalty kicks this season.
It was the Badgers' first conference win, improving their Big Ten record to 1-0-2 for five points.
Straight from the Pitch - Head Coach Neil Jones:
"A really great day for Wisconsin soccer to beat the 2022 Big Ten Champions. So proud of our guys, it wasn't the prettiest game but we grinded and we got three conference points, which are obviously critical. I want to thank our diversity and inclusion staff for a great day for Power of Us. We're so proud to represent this institution. It's a great day to be a Badger! On, Wisconsin."
Key Notes:
- Wisconsin is now 4-1-2 in their last seven matches against Maryland. The Terrapins made six NCAA tournament appearances in that span, including a national championship.
- Freshman Marke Hrvojevic scored his first career goal with the Badgers. The Illinois native who played soccer last year in Croatia has appeared in eight of the nine Badger games this season, starting three of them.
- Wisconsin and Nate Crockford earned their sixth shutout of the year. This passes last year's total of five and marks the first time The Badgers had six shutouts in their first nine games since 2007.
Up Next:Â Wisconsin gets a week of rest before it takes on the Michigan Wolverines on the road Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed live on the B1G+ app, as well as bigtenplus.com.
