Through its seven nonconference tests, No. 13 Northwestern seldom faltered, punching in game-clinching goals at the death and locking in on defense to secure the program’s highest ranking in nearly a decade.

However, as coach Russell Payne’s team kicked off its conference campaign at Wisconsin, the extra edge of table implications trumped the teams’ rudimentary resumes.

Early season victories were all for naught — just 90 minutes of play would write an opening statement on the Big Ten landscape.

While the Wildcats (6-0-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) drew first blood in Madison, the Badgers (3-2-2, 0-0-2 Big Ten) struck back on set pieces, settling a 2-2 scoreline.

Both squads did not sniff a clear cut chance through 45 minutes of action, with sophomore defender Nigel Prince and graduate student defender Reese Mayer holding steady at central defense to clinch a first half clean sheet.

Payne told the Big Ten Network during the halftime break that his team, spearheaded by a young core, needed to take more chances.

“We were in some good attacking spots, but we gotta let it fly,” Payne said.

Only eight minutes into the second half, NU’s veteran strike partnership did just that, turning a small window of space into the contest’s opening conversion. 

Graduate student forward Ugo Achara Jr. received senior forward Justin Weiss’ deflected pass and shook a Wisconsin defender on the half turn, burying a right-footed effort into the bottom left corner to give the ‘Cats a 1-0 lead.

While the Badgers possessed a prime opportunity to equalize six minutes later, graduate student goalkeeper Jackson Weyman denied Wisconsin forward Kevin Andrews’ point blank effort.

Entering the final 20 minutes of action, freshman defender Fritz Volmar drove down the left flank, finding junior defender Ibrahim Obeid, who doubled NU’s edge to 2-0 on a tap in.

The Badgers quickly crept back into contention as Wisconsin defender Birgir Baldvinsson’s 75th minute header hurled into the back of the net, trimming the deficit to 2-1. 

After more than a dozen minutes of defending, the ‘Cats conceded a late corner, which they cleared only as far as Badger midfielder Tim Bielec’s right boot. Bielec caught Weyman flat footed, sinking a curling effort that knotted the game at two-apiece with less than four minutes to play.

Although NU garnered a last-ditch opportunity on a corner kick, neither side could find a crucial difference-maker as the final horn blared and cemented a 2-2 draw.

Next up for the ‘Cats is a Sunday showdown against Ohio State in Martin Stadium, where Payne and company hope to extend their unbeaten run to nine games.

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Twitter: @jakeepste1n

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