Northwestern University Athletics
2003 Season in Review
2/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 3, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - When head coach Tim Lenahan took over the Northwestern University men's soccer program before the 2001 season, he knew he had quite a bit of work ahead of him. Known for his ability to turn a struggling program around, even Lenahan thought the rebuilding process might take a few years.
In only his third season with the Wildcats, Lenahan and the 'Cats posted the type of season they might have expected a few more years later. Northwestern finished 7-7-6, earning their first .500 season since 1988 when the 'Cats posted a 14-4-1 record.
Their final victory of the season was perhaps the Wildcats' biggest win in the Lenahan era. Entering the Big Ten Tournament seeded No. 7, Northwestern pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent Big Ten Tournament history, knocking off No. 2 Michigan 2-1 to advance to the semifinal round.
The win over the Wolverines was NU's first victory over a conference opponent since 1999. The magical run ended with a 1-0 loss to Penn State, but the message had been delivered; Northwestern has officially entered a horse in the Big Ten championship race.
While the Big Ten Tournament victory might have been the crowning jewel of the 2003 season, it certainly was not the only big game. The 'Cats traveled south and defeated perennial power Duke 2-1 on their turf and battled to ties with conference foes Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Perhaps what makes the Wildcats' 2003 season accomplishments seem most impressive is the fact that 20 of the 24 players on the roster were either freshmen or sophomores. To say that the 'Cats experienced a 'youth movement' is an enormous understatement.
Freshman Gerardo Alvarez was named Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year, second-team All-Big Ten, All-Big Ten freshman, All Big Ten Tournament and third-team CollegeSoccerNews.com freshman All-American. Alvarez led the Wildcats offensively, racking up 25 points on nine goals and seven assists. His point total ranks sixth in the NU record books for points in a season. He is also ranked fourth in assists and seventh in goals.
Alvarez was certainly not the only freshman to make an immediate impact. Will Nicholas finished second on the team in scoring with eight points and was an imposing force in the Wildcat backfield. Forward Dan Chille notched seven points in his first season and quickly established himself as one of the conference's most dangerous one v. one threats. Wildcat fans should expect fireworks out of the Alvarez/Chille duo over the next three years.
One name Wildcat fans will certainly miss next year is Jeremy Cook. Cook, a former walk-on, was named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, and was the heart and soul of the NU program. He finished his career with 57 consecutive starting assignments and contributed Northwestern's turnaround perhaps as much as any other person in the program.
While the 2003 season will certainly be remembered as a turning point in Northwestern soccer history, many people feel like the 'Cats are just getting started. Every single player that tallied a point in the 2003 season is back next year and with another year under Lenahan's tutelage, victories could start coming by the dozen very soon.
