(UW ATHLETICS) – The No. 18 Wisconsin men’s soccer team (7-2-3, 1-2-3 B1G) plays its third-straight home match on Friday, Oct. 16. The Badgers will take on No. 10 UCLA (7-1-4, 3-1-2 B1G), with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CT against the Bruins.
Here are five things to know before this week’s match.
1 – HOW ABOUT A HAT TRICK – Freshman Christopher Salazar made his first collegiate start one to remember, scoring three times against Lakeland last Tuesday. Salazar’s hat trick helped the Badgers to an 8-0 win over the Muskies and earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week. He is the first freshman to receive this award since Dean Boltz in 2024.
2 – SENSATIONAL SHUTOUT – Goalkeeper Judewellin Michel impressed again on Saturday, making a pair of saves in Wisconsin’s 1-0 shutout victory over Rutgers. Michel was awarded Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season after his performance. The sophomore’s presence between the posts and Aidan Martinez’s first half goal helped the Badgers to their first conference win of the season.
3 – SCOUTING UCLA – The Bruins currently sit in fourth place in the Big Ten standings and are on a four-match winning streak. Last week UCLA earned a 5-1 win over Westmont and collected three conference points with a 2-1 victory over Ohio State. Jaime Amaro leads the Bruins’ offense with 13 points (5 goals, 3 assists) and Ryan Tiltack has played the majority of games in goal, posting a 1.08 goals against average and two shutouts.
4 – BADGERS VS BRUINS – UW is 1-1-1 in just three games played against UCLA all-time. Last season, the Bruins picked up their first program win over the Badgers with a 3-1 victory in Los Angeles. Cristobal Porter scored UW’s lone goal in that contest. Wisconsin’s win came in 2024 when they took the 4-1 victory in Madison.
5 – HOW TO FOLLOW – Friday’s ranked contest will be played at the Badgers’ McClimon Soccer Complex, with admission free to all. The game will stream on B1G+
Zelenov earns Big Ten Star of the Week: Sophomore forward Vasily Zelenov enters the bye week as the Big Ten Second Star of the Week after his four-point performance in UW’s road sweep at Minnesota State last weekend. The two-game series helped him grab a tie for fourth nationally in points.
In Mankato, Zelenov found himself lighting the lamp for the first the first time redirecting a pass from Zach Wooten to secure a power-play goal in the series finale. He earned the primary assist on UW’s first goal of the game in the 4-1 victory.
That followed a two-assist first-night performance in UW’s 4-0 win, with helpers on the second and third goals.
Zelenov started off the season on a high note, assisting on three of the four goals scored in UW’s opening night win over Robert Morris at the Kohl Center. He currently boasts a team-best seven points on one goal and six assists.
The award marks his first career Big Ten Star of the Week honor. He was part of the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team last April
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