Wisconsin Badgers
Ohio State
Men’s soccer opens Big Ten play with top-ranked match at McClimon
September 08, 2026 | Men's Soccer
Badgers face No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
MADISON, Wis. - The No. 8 Wisconsin men's soccer team (5-0-0) kicks off Big Ten play with a top-10 match up against No. 3 Ohio State (4-0-0) at the McClimon Soccer Complex on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT against the Buckeyes.
Friday is also Alumni Night at McClimon. Fans are invited to come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wisconsin Men's Soccer and join the Badgers in welcoming back the Wisconsin 1995 championship team.
Here are five things to know before this week's match.
1 – B1G TIME MICHEL – Judewellin Michel earned his first career Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week award after his incredible performance Saturday night. The sophomore helped Wisconsin to a 2-1 victory over Portland, making a career-high nine saves. Michel's most timely save came two minutes before halftime when he punched away an incoming shot to maintain the Badgers' one-goal lead. The Pilots totaled 20 shots in the contest, but did not score a goal in open play.
2 – GOODNIGHT KISS(E) – Junior transfer Emile Kisse was the hero for Wisconsin on Saturday night. The Badgers took an early lead against the Pilots off a Markie Hrvojevic header, assisted by Ellis Jones and Joaquin Torres. Portland was able to tie the game on a corner kick in the 55th minute and continued to tally shots throughout the second half. With the clock running out and the game seemingly heading towards a draw, Kisse buried a shot into the upper left corner of the net. The late-night heroics came with just four seconds left to secure the Wisconsin victory.
3 – SPECTACULAR START – After Saturday's win, the Badgers have opened the season with five-straight victories for the sixth time in program history. Wisconsin enters Big Ten play with a 16-2 goal differential, averaging 3.20 goals per game. While the offense is putting up impressive numbers, the Badgers' defense has been impenetrable. Michel has posted three shutouts and has yet to allow a goal in open play.
4 – SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES – UW holds the 21-18-3 edge in the all-time series against Ohio State. The Badgers earned a 1-0 win on the road in last year's contest against the Buckeyes. Ohio State is undefeated through four games this season and has yet to allow a goal, posting a 14-0 goal differential. Senior forward Isaiah Chisolm has paced the offense with seven goals scored, second-most in the Big Ten. Wisconsin will be tested with its first top-10 match up since the 1995 NCAA quarterfinals.
5 – HOW TO FOLLOW – Friday's top-ranked contest will be played at the Badgers' McClimon Soccer Complex, with admission free to all. The game will stream on B1G+ and live stats can be found on the Badger men's soccer schedule at uwbadgers.com. Live updates will also be given on @BadgerMSoccer on X, as well as @badgermsoccer on Instagram.
EXTRA TIME – Any time the Badgers win at McClimon this season, join the team immediately after the game at the northwest corner of the field for autographs.
