Northwestern
DePaul
Northwestern Wins Lakeside Classic
9/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 12, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- It was a long day of soccer at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex, but a good one for Northwestern. The Wildcats beat DePaul, 2-1, in double overtime to earn the Lakeside Classic championship.
In the Classic's first match of the day, UC Irvine beat the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, 1-0, also in overtime. The Anteaters finished second in the tournament, while DePaul took third and UW-Green Bay fourth.
Northwestern's 4-1 record is the best start in program history and the first time the 'Cats have had a winning record through five games since 1988, when NU began the season 3-2.
In a hard-fought match between Chicago squads, it was the Wildcats who broke through first. With the match tied at zero in the second half, Kevin Earnest (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) drove along the endline and was taken down in the box to earn a penalty kick. Gerardo Alvarez (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) put home the PK to give NU a 1-0 lead.
DePaul would fight back furiously, eventually equalizing in the 78th minute when John Partyka scored on an assist from Kevin Riemer. The Blue Demons nearly took the lead moments later, but NU defenders Brad Napper (Dallas, Texas/Jesuit College Prep) and Jaro Pylypczak (Lombard, Ill./Benet Academy) combined on a defensive save to keep the score tied.
"We will take the win," Northwestern head coach Tim Lenahan said. "We had the game in hand until we scored, then we did not do much afterwards."
In the first overtime period, DePaul unleashed an onslaught on the NU net, but freshman David Roth (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade) cleared a ball off the line and junior goalkeeper Brian Heckenbach (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) made a diving save off the crossbar.
After dodging some bullets, Will Nicholas (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) ended the game 1:01 into the second overtime period, putting home a set-piece service from Eric Brin (Westlake, Calif./Westlake).
Nicholas was named Tournament MVP. He scored a goal and assisted on three others in NU's 4-1 win over UW-Green Bay Friday.
"DePaul deserved better in this match," Lenahan said. "They really pummelled us in the first overtime. I'm grateful we won, but hats off to them for a well-played game."
In a day that featured three matches at the LBT Athletic Complex, Northwestern's women's soccer team kicked off at noon in a match that also went to overtime, with the Wildcats beating SE Missouri State, 1-0.
Northwestern returns to action this weekend at the Puma Soccer Classic in Nashville, Tenn. The Wildcats face Vanderbilt at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, and Eastern Illinois at noon on Sunday, Sept. 19.
LAKESIDE CLASSIC RESULTS
1. Northwestern (2-0) +4
2. UC Irvine (2-0) +3
3. DePaul (0-2) -3
4. UW-Green Bay (0-2) -4
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Northwestern
Will Nicholas
Gerardo Alvarez
David Roth
Jaro Pylypczak
UC Irvine
Ryan Mathy
Rudy Mondragon
Chris Klotz
DePaul
John Partyka
John Kornfeld
UW-Green Bay
Kyle Sillars
Dave Chin
Tournament MVP: Will Nicholas, Northwestern
