Things are beginning to look up for the Penn State men's soccer team as it embarks on one Big Ten game this weekend.

Following a relaxing week off, after a weekend in which a staunch defense posted two shutouts against Akron and Buffalo, the Nittany Lions (4-7-2, 2-1 Big Ten) take their newfound confidence and head west to face Wisconsin at noon this Sunday.

"We've got a couple of good results to build on," head coach Barry Gorman said. "If I have to motivate guys to get ready for a team like Wisconsin, then there's something wrong."

The Badgers (8-4-2, 2-1-1 Big Ten) haven't clashed with the Lions since a 1-0 Penn State overtime victory last year at Jeffrey Field. In the Lions' last trip to Madison, the they were upset by the Badgers, as No. 9 Penn State fell 4-3 to an unranked Wisconsin team.

This season, both squads can blame Ohio State for their lone conference losses. Also, Penn State has also beaten Michigan State while Wisconsin tied the Spartans.

Though both teams feature talented strikers, neither has had a dominant goal-scorer in 2006. Penn State's leading scorer is senior Simon Omekanda with 10 points. He needed a two-goal, one-assist game against Buffalo last Sunday to take the reigns from injured forward Barkley Miller. Forward Victor Diaz and defender Zack Lambo, a pair of sophomores, have nine points a piece for the Badgers.

The Penn State defense, finally recovering from nagging injuries, is confident that it can replicate its performance from last weekend, assisting the offense in creating scoring opportunities along the way.

"We've just gotta continue the momentum going into more Big Ten games," senior defender David Gray said.

"The way the defense is playing, that's opening things up for guys like Simon."

Gray is almost fully recovered from a pinched nerve in his neck, though minor injuries to him and senior captain Markku Viitanen have opened the door for younger players to show what they can do. Freshmen Alex Wentzel and Michael Janov each saw substantial playing time over the weekend, opening the door for the Lions to give players breathers and to finally have solid options if another injury occurs.

"There's so many [injuries] that I lose track," Gorman said. "We're trying to think outside the box."

Gorman loves having a stable lineup, but the Lions have featured 12 different combinations of starters in 13 games. With banged up regulars forcing Gorman to try something completely new, it's not surprising that the chemistry has taken more time to develop than he prefers.

"It puts pressure on the people who were out, and that's a good thing," Omekanda said.

"[Injured players] are not just gonna come back, they're gonna have to get fit. People are playing well, so their spots are not just gonna be handed to them. That helps everybody."