After going on a five-game win streak, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men’s soccer team was defeated 2-1 in double overtime by the Michigan Wolverines Thursday.

UWM (8-3-4) could not prevent the Wolverines (7-6-1) from scoring in the 109th minute to send the Panthers home with a loss.

“I am hugely disappointed with the result,” coach Louis Bennett said. “But Michigan deserved the victory because they were the team to put the ball in the back of the net.”

UWM lead the game 1-0, until the 82nd minute when Michigan’s Chase Tennant tied the score at 1-1. The score would remain tied after 90 minutes, forcing overtime.

This goal ended two streaks for the Panthers. Both the team and freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum had kept their opponents scoreless for long periods of time. The Panthers held its opponents scoreless since Oct. 2, almost 559 minutes.

Fernstrum had a second-place record scoreless streak of 584 minutes 48 seconds. He also suffered his first collegiate loss.

UWM’s first goal was scored by freshman midfielder/forward Adam Skalecki in the 53rd minute. He was set up by a great pass from sophomore midfielder Martin Castro.

Castro turned away from the goal and sent the pass to Skalecki for the goal on the far post.

Fernstrum denied all Michigan threatening attacks in the first half. In the fourth minute, Michigan’s Trai Blanks got past UWM’s defense.

Blanks was on a breakaway and forced Fernstrum off his line. Blanks took a shot that hit off the crossbar and deflected out of bounds.

Michigan held the advantage in shots 16 to eight and five to two on shots on goal. They also forced four corner kicks to UWM’s three.

Michigan scored its final goal in the second overtime in the 109th minute of the game.

Blanks came back for another opportunity to put the ball past Fernstrum. He kept this shot on goal and sent it past Fernstrum for the win.

“They work hard, they wore us down,” Bennett said. “But the way the game was allowed to be played ground us down and had us trying to protect ourselves and in survival mode.”

> Comments