Wisconsin opens NCAA tournament with visit from Milwaukee
November 20, 2013 | Men's Soccer
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Nov. 18 - 24
Wisconsin opens NCAA tournament with visit from Milwaukee
The No. 19 Badgers will have another opportunity to extend the nation’s longest home unbeaten streak on Thursday when they host Milwaukee in the opening round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championships. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on CBSSports.com.
UW and Milwaukee will meet for the 36th time in series history on Thursday. The teams will meet for their first postseason battle, which will mark their second meeting this season. The Badgers and Panthers played to a 1-1 draw during their Oct. 23 meeting in Milwaukee at Engelmann Field.
| Milwaukee (15-2-2) vs. No. 19 Wisconsin (13-4-2) | |
| Date | Thrusday, Nov. 21 | 6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Madison, Wis. | McClimon Complex |
| Social Media | @BadgerMSoccer on Twitter  | Facebook  |
| Live Coverage | GameTracker | Twitter |
| Watch Live | Big Ten Digital Network  |
| Series | Tied, 14-14-7 |
| Game Notes | Wisconsin  | 2013 NCAA Tournament Bracket |
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER:
1 PARTY LIKE IT'S 1995: For the first time in nearly two decades, UW will make an appearance in the postseason. The Badgers earned a berth in the 2013 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championships and will make their first appearance in the Big Dance since 1995, the same season the team won its one and only NCAA title.
2 HOME RUN: The Badgers will put their coveted 13-match home unbeaten streak on the line Thursday in their NCAA tournament opening-round match. UW owns the nation’s longest current home unbeaten streak, dating back to 2012.
3 IN THE 'NICK' OF TIME: Senior Nick Janus has been one of Wisconsin’s most consistent offensive threats this season. The first-team All-Big Ten selection has tallied scores in 10 of the Badgers’ last 17 contests, including the game-winner against Marquette (Oct. 2), Drake (Oct. 8), Michigan State (Oct. 27) and Northwestern (Nov. 3).
4 AJ'S REIGN: AJ Cochran has been the anchor of UW’s backline each of the last two seasons, but the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has also shown off his offensive repitoire this season. In UW’s 4-3 comeback win over Indiana on Oct. 11, Cochran was responsible for two of UW’s four scores in the final 25 minutes of action, including the game-winning score in the 84th minute. The St. Louis, Mo., native was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week as a result of his performance that week.
5 RETURN OF TOMO: Named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, Tomislav Zadro finished the season first on the team in assists (8) and third in points (16) and goals (4). Despite missing three matches due to surgery on his meniscus, the two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer returned to help UW knock off defending NCAA champion Indiana on Oct. 11.
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SERIES VS. MILWAUKEE
• Thursday’s match marks the 36th meeting all-time between the Badgers and Panthers.
• The all-time series is tied 14-14-7, dating back to the teams’ first meeting in 1974.
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NOTES FROM UW'S LAST GAME:
NU 2, #13 UW 1 - 11/13/13 - Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
• Carl Schneider recorded his first career goal in 58th minute.
• Wisconsin allowed goals in the 30th and 36th minute.
• Max Jentsch suffered his first loss of the season, moving his record to 4-1-1.
• Jentsch also conceded two goals for the first time in 2013.
• The Badgers’ Big Ten tournament record against Northwestern drops to 1-3-0 and their all-time conference tournament mark moves to 8-20-3.
WISCONSIN IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• The Badgers own an 8-4-0 all-time mark in the Big Dance, including a perfect 5-0-0 mark in their last appearance in 1995 en route to the NCAA national title.
• Wisconsin will make its sixth NCAA tournament appearance in 2013, having made its previous five appearances between 1981 and 1995.
• During its 1995 NCAA title run, Wisconsin did not allow a single goal in five matches. The Badgers still stand as the only team in NCAA history to not allow a single goal in a five-game postseason run.
• Four seasons after its inception in 1977, UW earned another milestone moment, earning the program’s first ever NCAA tournament appearance. Following a 15-2-2 season, the Badgers made their debut in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin fell, 5-1, to Big Ten foe Indiana in the first round on Nov. 22, 1981.
WRECKING THE RANKED
• Wisconsin has taken down three top-25 ranked teams in 2013, shutting out all three opponents this season.
• UW regained bragging rights in the I-94 rivalry, outlasting #10 Marquette, 1-0, at home on Oct. 2.
• After earning a tie against Milwaukee, who was ranked in the NSCAA and Soccer America national poll, the Badgers welcomed #17 Michigan State to the McClimon Complex, knocking off the 2012 Big Ten Tournament champions, 1-0, on Oct. 27.
• The next weekend, on Nov. 3, Wisconsin traveled to No. 25 Northwestern, earning a crucial conference road win in a 1-0 decision in Evanston.
BIG TEN'S BEST
• The Badgers are currently the top team in the league in points (113), goals (38) and goals per game (2.00). UW is also second in the conference in assists (37) and assists per game (1.95).
• The Badgers finished the regular season second in the Big Ten standings, with a 4-2-0 record.
• UW is the lone Big Ten team with 13 wins--two more than the Big Ten leader, Penn State, and one more than Michigan State.
• Junior Jacob Brindle is third in goals per game (0.44), tied for third in goals (8), fourth in points (17) and tied for fourth in game-winning goals (3) in the Big Ten.
• Senior Tomislav Zadro leads the Big Ten in assists (8) and assists per game (0.53).
• Fellow senior Nick Janus is tied for first in game-winning goals (4), second in goals (9) and goals per game (.47), tied for second in points (20) and third points per game (1.05).
• Redshirt-freshman GK Casey Beyers ranks seventh in the conference in saves (33), boasting a 2.54 saves
per game average.
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| John Trask |
10 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
• Following its win over then 25th-ranked Northwestern on Nov. 3, Wisconsin eclipsed the 10-win plateau for the first time since 1995 when the team won the national championship.
• Prior to recording its 12th win, UW hadn’t won more than 11 games since 2003.
• After defeating Ohio State on Nov. 8, the Badgers eclipsed 13 regular-season victories for the ninth time in program history.
HOME RUN
• The Badgers have dominated at home dating back to 2012. UW is in the midst of a 13-match home unbeaten streak, which has included seven shutouts (including 2012 season) and a win over the defending NCAA national champions (Indiana).
Longest Active Home Unbeaten Streaks (Division I Men)
| Rank | Team | Streak |
| 1 | WISCONSIN | 13 |
| 2 | Washington | 11 |
| 3 | George Mason | 9 |
| 4 | Saint Louis | 8 |
PARTY LIKE ITS 1995
• For the first time since 1995, Wisconsin has hit the 13-win mark in a single season.
• Coincidentally, the last time the Badgers earned a bid to the NCAA tournament was 1995 -- the same season UW won the NCAA title.
• Following the win over then 25th-ranked Northwestern on Nov. 3, Wisconsin moved into the top-10 in single-season wins in UW history.
