Northwestern
Michigan
Northwestern Downs Michigan in Overtime, 2-1
10/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 24, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern won its second consecutive Big Ten match and its fourth straight overall Sunday in a 2-1 overtime victory over Michigan at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex.
Four minutes into the first overtime period, NU earned its third corner kick of the match. Junior Eric Brin (Westlake, Calif./Westlake) put the ball into the box where it bounced around before Alexander Renzi (Rochester Hills, Mich./Adams) headed it into the air for junior Brad Napper (Dallas, Texas/Jesuit College Prep) to fly in and finish it, giving NU the 2-1 win.
The goal is the defender's second match-winner of the year. He also put in the winning score in NU's season-opener against IPFW. Napper is currently second on the team with six goals from his position on NU's backline.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 10-3-2 overall, 2-1-1 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats' 10 wins is the second-best total in team history and the most wins ever over Division I opponents in a single-season.
NU's seven points in the Big Ten are also the most in the Wildcats' history. Northwestern also won two conference matches in 1999--the only other year the 'Cats have ever done so.
Northwestern has now defeated Michigan in the teams' last two meetings--the 'Cats knocked the Wolverines out of the Big Ten Tournament a year ago.
NU struck first in a closely contested match when junior Adam Sirois (Barrington, N.H./Berwick (Maine) Academy) headed home a Gerardo Alvarez (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) free kick in the 38th minute.
The Wildcats held the lead until the 87th minute, when Michigan was awarded a penalty kick and converted to knot the score at 1-1 and send the match into extra-time.
"We played well and so did they," NU head coach Tim Lenahan said. "They kept the game close which is what they wanted to do. Fortunately we made the first play in overtime. We'll take any Big Ten points, but obviously I'm glad we got the win."
Lenahan was presented a game ball before the match by Northwestern Director of Athletics Mark Murphy in honor of his 150th career victory--a 1-0 win over No. 3 Indiana last Sunday.
NU returns to action at 3 p.m. Friday against Ohio State in its final home match of the season.
