Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Ready to Host Third Annual Lakeside Classic
9/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Northwestern-Western Kentucky Match Notes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's men's soccer team opens the 2005 regular season by hosting the Third Annual Lakeside Classic this weekend on Friday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 4, at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex.
The Wildcats will first match up against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2.
The `Cats went 1-2 during preseason action, but look to win their regular-season opener for the second year in a row. During preseason matches, Northwestern averaged 15.3 shots per game, while allowing opponents a mere 6.3 shots per game. The Wildcats' showed glimpses reminiscent of the 2004 offense, which ranked 11th in the country. Northwestern tallied 25 shots-on-goal, seven of which came from junior forward Brad North (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands). North was second on the team last season with nine goals, trailing only Gerardo Alvarez (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) who had 12.
The Hilltoppers went 1-1 in preseason action, winning 4-3 against Northern Kentucky and falling to Georgia State, 2-0. Last season, Western Kentucky finished with a 5-11 record, but had two players, Trey Alexander and Richard Mupfudze, garner All-Missouri Valley Conference honors. This meeting will be the first between these two soccer programs.
For the second half the tournament, the `Cats will face the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flash at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4.
The Red Flash played two exhibition matches this season, losing to Messiah, 2-1, and falling to the University of Pittsburgh, 1-0.
St. Francis finished second in the Northeastern Conference in 2004, averaging 1.42 goals per game and allowed 1.16 goals per game in 19 matches. This will also be the first meeting between Wildcats and the Red Flash
The Lakeside Classic will also include the Northern Illinois Huskies, who will play St. Francis (Pa.) at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, then Western Kentucky at noon, Sunday, Sept. 4.
The Wildcats won the 2004 Lakeside Classic by beating the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 4-1, and with a 2-1 double-overtime triumph against DePaul University.
